An Overview of Attachment Theory

Fletcher, Helen K.

doi:10.1002/9781118938119.ch2

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The lack of differences between the clinical and non-clinical groups could have several explanations. Given that development of “goal- corrected partnerships” in caregiving dyads emerge in line with language acquisition and theory of mind development (Fletcher and Gallichan, 2016), it is possible that developmental delays impact upon the successful creation and maintenance of such partnerships when a child has IDs. Both Rutgers et al (2004) and Van Ijzendoorn et al (2007) suggested a similar explanation for their findings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Possible mechanisms for these findings have been proposed, such as the effect of the developmental differences that may complicate the development of synchronous interactions with caregivers in infancy (supported by Van IJzendoorn et al ’s, 2007 findings of reduced involvement in interactions despite parental sensitivity) or the unresolved feelings parents may have about their child’s IDs, ultimately affecting their caregiving (Schuengel et al , 2013; Fletcher and Gallichan, 2016). This population is also at greater risk of exposure to abuse and trauma (Spencer et al , 2005; McDonnell et al , 2019; Fang et al , 2022), factors that are well understood to be linked to insecure and disorganised patterns of attachment in the typically developing population (Lyons-Ruth and Jacobvitz, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Attachment, psychological health and interpersonal functioning: a comparison of clinical and non-clinical groups of people with intellectual disability

Bateman

Flood

Pascalis

2023

AMHID

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Purpose Insecure and unresolved attachments have been linked to poorer psychological health and interpersonal functioning for people with intellectual disabilities (IDs), but research in this area is limited, especially for adults. Studies using the Adult Attachment Projective (AAP) have been restricted to clinical samples, where insecure and unresolved attachments are typically more prevalent. The purpose of this study is to compare clinical and non-clinical groups of adults with IDs on the AAP, plus measures of psychological health and interpersonal functioning, to investigate whether group differences found in the typically developing population are also present for adults with IDs. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional, between-group design was used. Adults with IDs (clinical group n = 11 and non-clinical group n = 13) completed measures of attachment, psychological distress/positive well-being and interpersonal functioning. Attachment classifications were compared in the clinical versus non-clinical groups. Measures of psychological distress, positive well-being and interpersonal functioning were compared between those with insecure-organised versus unresolved classifications. Findings No participants were classified as secure, and there were high rates of unresolved attachment. There were no differences between clinical and non-clinical groups with regards to the distribution of insecure-organised (i.e. dismissing or preoccupied) versus unresolved classifications. There were no differences between groups with regards to psychological distress, positive well-being or interpersonal functioning. The authors consider limitations in the method of group differentiation and suggest further research to better understand the development of internal working models of attachment in this population. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of only three to examine attachment state of mind in adults with IDs using the AAP and the first to examine differences between clinical and non-clinical groups.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attachment, psychological health and interpersonal functioning: a comparison of clinical and non-clinical groups of people with intellectual disability

Bateman

Flood

Pascalis

2023

AMHID

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“…A review found that increasing insights into attachment behaviours and relationships showed the most promise for practical applications of attachment theory in people with ID (Schuengel et al, 2013); therefore, more education may help people to understand relationships and behaviours, which are considered challenging. While children in the general population need less physical protection and closeness as they grow older, some people with ID may lack the skills in theory of mind necessary to develop internal working models of attachment, and therefore continue to need physical proximity in order to feel safe and secure (Fletcher and Gallichan, 2016). Awareness of these aspects of attachment theory may help family and staff to more accurately interpret attachment behaviours, such as crying or clinging (Skelly, 2016), helping them to develop appropriate ways to respond and improving the attunement to people's needs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, it is possible that parental grief and feelings of loss for the imagined 'healthy child' could impact on parental attunement early in a child's life (Fletcher, 2016) and lead to parents feeling they have failed to protect their child. RAD is thought to be associated with maltreatment early in life, and people with ID are more likely to experience institutionalization (Green and Goldwyn, 2002), poor care and early abuse (Fletcher and Gallichan, 2016) than those in the general population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are people with an intellectual disability at increased risk of attachment difficulties? A critical review

Hamadi

Fletcher

2019

J Intellect Disabil

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Attachment difficulties are associated with a range of adverse outcomes in mental health, and people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) may be at greater risk of experiencing difficulties in their attachment relationships. This review critically evaluated recent research measuring the prevalence of attachment difficulties in people with ID. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, and a higher prevalence of insecure and disorganized attachment classifications, and symptoms of attachment disorder, was found across a number of subgroups of people with diagnoses of ID. However, the validity and reliability of measures of attachment have not been empirically established in this population, and control groups were not always appropriate. These findings indicate the need to (1) develop reliable and standardized assessments of attachment for people with ID and (2) evaluate the efficacy of attachment-based interventions in relation to reducing psychological distress, mental health problems and expression of behaviours experienced by others as challenging.

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“…When trying to find attachment instruments, the majority were qualitative, however this is a quantitative instrument. Also, this was the only quantitative instrument with SPSS coding instructions for including the fourth attachment category (dismissive/disorganized), which is often found in children who have experienced maltreatment, necessitating out‐of‐home placement (Fletcher & Gallichan, 2016; Main & Solomon, 1990; Miranda et al, 2019). Lastly, the AAS is valid and reliable.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the implications of early adolescent attachment on out‐of‐home placement and family courts

Miller

2023

Juvenile Family Court J

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Few scholars have examined early adolescent attachment in child welfare, where placement is a necessary but forced attachment disruption. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to examine the responses of 18‐ to 24‐year‐olds (n = 83) who had been in out‐of‐home care, comparing early adolescent versus non‐early adolescent placement, placement setting, and sibling accessibility on attachment. Results showed early adolescents were almost half as likely to be securely attached postplacement than other age ranges and the importance of family‐like placements and maintaining peer relationships.

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An Overview of Attachment Theory

Cited by 8 publications

References 28 publications

Attachment, psychological health and interpersonal functioning: a comparison of clinical and non-clinical groups of people with intellectual disability

Attachment, psychological health and interpersonal functioning: a comparison of clinical and non-clinical groups of people with intellectual disability

Are people with an intellectual disability at increased risk of attachment difficulties? A critical review

Examining the implications of early adolescent attachment on out‐of‐home placement and family courts

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