Disorganized attachment in infancy: a review of the phenomenon and its implications for clinicians and policy-makers
Abstract
Disorganized/Disoriented (D) attachment has seen widespread interest from policy makers, practitioners, and clinicians in recent years. However, some of this interest seems to have been based on some false assumptions that (1) attachment measures can be used as definitive assessments of the individual in forensic/child protection settings and that disorganized attachment (2) reliably indicates child maltreatment, (3) is a strong predictor of pathology, and (4) represents a fixed or static "trait" of the child, impervious to development or help. This paper summarizes the evidence showing that these four assumptions are false and misleading. The paper reviews what is known about disorganized infant attachment and clarifies the implications of the classification for clinical and welfare practice with children. In particular, the difference between disorganized attachment and attachment disorder is examined, and a strong case is made for the value of attachment theory for supportive work with families and for the development and evaluation of evidence-based caregiving interventions.
Cite this
Pehr Granqvist, L. Alan Sroufe, Mary Dozier, Erik Hesse, Miriam Steele, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, … Robbie Duschinsky (2017). Disorganized attachment in infancy: a review of the phenomenon and its implications for clinicians and policy-makers. Attachment & Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2017.1354040
@article{pehr2017disorganized,
title = {Disorganized attachment in infancy: a review of the phenomenon and its implications for clinicians and policy-makers},
author = {Granqvist, Pehr and Sroufe, L. Alan and Dozier, Mary and Hesse, Erik and Steele, Miriam and IJzendoorn, Marinus H. van and Solomon, Judith and Schuengel, Carlo and Fearon, Pasco R. M. and Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Marian J. and Steele, Howard and Cassidy, Jude Anne and Madigan, Sheri L. and Jacobvitz, Deborah B. and Foster, Sarah and Behrens, Kazuko Y. and Rifkin-Graboi, Anne Elise and Bahm, Naomi I. Gribneau and Spangler, Gottfried and Ward, Mary J. and True, Mary McMahan and Spieker, Susan J. and Reijman, Sophie and Reisz, Samantha and Tharner, Anne and Nkara, Frances and Goldwyn, Ruth and Sroufe, June and Pederson, David R. and Pederson, Deanne and Siegel, Daniël J. and Dazzi, Nino and Bernard, Kristin and Fonagy, Peter and Waters, Everett and Toth, Sheree L. and Cicchetti, Dante and Zeanah, Charles H. and Lyons‐Ruth, Karlen and Main, Mary and Duschinsky, Robbie},
year = {2017},
journal = {Attachment & Human Development},
doi = {10.1080/14616734.2017.1354040}
}Citations in this library
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