Citation

Zeanah CH, Keyes A, Settles L. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 2003; 1008: 22-30.

Affiliation

Institute for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Health Sciences Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tidewater Building TB-52, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. czeanah@tulane.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

14998869

Abstract

Human infants form attachments to their caregivers gradually over the course of the first year of life. Qualitatively different types of attachments, which can be identified by the end of the first year, are broadly predictive of subsequent adaptive outcomes for young children. "Disorganized" patterns of attachment have the strongest links to concurrent and subsequent psychopathology, and considerable research has demonstrated both within-the-child and environmental correlates of disorganized attachment. Clinical disorders of attachment have been demonstrated to arise under conditions of social deprivation, such as institutionalization and maltreatment. An emotionally withdrawn/inhibited pattern and an indiscriminate/disinhibited pattern both have been described. Although these clinical types arise under similar conditions of environmental adversity, they tend to have different courses over time. We describe recent findings and highlight areas of emerging consensus and areas of continuing controversy regarding both disorganized patterns of attachment and clinical disorders of attachment in young children.

Language: en