Early Interventions Can Avert or Reduce Disorganized Attachment

Disorganized attachment patterns in infants and children have long been associated with subsequent psychological and behavioral problems, from internalizing and externalizing problems in children through borderline personality disorder in adults. For decades, clinicians trying to avert or reverse these patterns have used various “preventive intervention” programs for high-risk mothers and couples, starting prenatally, during infancy, or in early childhood. Most programs have focused on enhancing parenting skills to diminish maternal fright/frightening behavior and to correct disrupted maternal communications during infant-child distress (negative-intrusive behaviors, role confusion, withdrawal, contradictory messages, etc.).

In a systematic …