Using Parental Attachment in Family Court Proceedings: DMM Theory about the Adult Attachment Interview

Crittenden, Patricia M.; Landini, Andrea; Spieker, Susan J.; Grey, Ben

doi:10.1002/car.2730

Cited by 8 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; George et al, 1984George et al, /1996) is a semi-structured interview used to gain understanding of parental attachment to their child. Crittenden et al (2021) compare the two key methods for extracting information from the AAI: the Berkeley Method (see Main et al, 2003) and the Dynamic-Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM; Crittenden & Landini, 2011). Particular attention is paid to the 'false secure' categorisation.…”

Section: The Conceptualisation Of Internal and Ecological Validity Of Assessment Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors present findings from two meta-analyses that appeared to show high rates of 'false secure' classifications using the Berkeley method. As an alternative, Crittenden et al (2021) present their DMM-AAI classificatory method that uses a developmental perspective to describe 'dimensionally related protective strategies for coping with danger across the lifespan' (p. 536).…”

Section: The Conceptualisation Of Internal and Ecological Validity Of Assessment Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As an alternative, Crittenden et al . (2021) present their DMM‐AAI classificatory method that uses a developmental perspective to describe ‘dimensionally related protective strategies for coping with danger across the lifespan’ (p. 536).…”

Section: The Conceptualisation Of Internal and Ecological Validity Of...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(2021) about tools used in court proceedings, Crittenden et al . (2021) note that attachment is often considered in family proceedings and hence must be well‐validated. While this is only one of the many methods for assessing attachment that would be viable in a court room and the DMM‐AAI does require specialist training (which may limit its applicability, at least in the short term), it is an interesting development, and the paper provides a useful overview of the conceptual underpinnings of this approach and how it can be used in practice to support families.…”

Section: The Conceptualisation Of Internal and Ecological Validity Of...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Assessment Tools in Child Protection Practice and Research

Charak

Hamilton‐Giachritsis

2021

Child Abuse Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Decision-making in child protection is a challenging process, with practitioners endeavouring to evaluate and assess factors that inform planning and improve performance. In this regard, assessment tools play a vital role in child protection practices as they facilitate identification of child maltreatment, related risk/protective factors and child outcomes (such as traumatic stress reactions). Over the years, a wide range of assessment tools have become available for use in day-to-day practice and research. Parent-focused examples include the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (Milner, 1990), Child Behavior Checklist (parent and child report;Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Charak et al., 2019a) and the Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory 2.1 (AAPI 2.1; Bavolek & Keene, 2010). There are also numerous outcome measures for children, such as the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (Briere, 1996) and the International Trauma Questionnaire (Cloitre et al., 2018;Haselgruber et al., 2020) specifically for ICD-11 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD in children and adolescents. Such tools can assist in providing additional routes to assessment and intervention planning through triangulation with other sources of data, such as interviews or observations. Thus, ensuring that the use of child protection assessment tools is current and evidence-based is crucial for the protection and wellbeing of our children and families. However, it can prove challenging to keep up with this constantly evolving development of assessments.Therefore, as guest editors, our aim for this special issue is to provide an introduction to the current debates about assessment tools and highlight new developments in this field with an international perspective. With authors and data drawn from Iceland, Northern Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, the USA and the UK, the seven selected articles (i) reflect the importance of conceptualisation of internal and ecological validity of assessment tools, (ii) put forth tools that can be used for examining instances of maltreatment or (iii) present measurement tools that can be useful for clinical interventions and services for child survivors of maltreatment. Also included is a review of an e-learning tool and how effective it was found to be by a practitioner. Several of the papers present promising initial evidence for new psychometric measures or application of an existing tool, which will benefit from later replication or extension studies. Overall, however, we hope that the range of

show abstract

Section: The Conceptualisation Of Internal and Ecological Validity Of Assessment Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Conceptualisation Of Internal and Ecological Validity Of Assessment Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Conceptualisation Of Internal and Ecological Validity Of...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Conceptualisation Of Internal and Ecological Validity Of...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Assessment Tools in Child Protection Practice and Research

Charak

Hamilton‐Giachritsis

2021

Child Abuse Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Another approach to attachment theory was developed by Patricia Crittenden and her colleagues. The Dynamic‐Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM; Crittenden et al ., 2021b) led to the DMM classificatory method for the AAI (Crittenden & Landini, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Parental Attachment in Family Court Proceedings: An Empirical Study of the DMM‐AAI

Spieker

Crittenden²,

Landini³

et al. 2021

Child Abuse Review

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Two methods for classifying Adult Attachment Interviews (AAI) for family court decisionmaking, Berkeley and DMM, differ in their usefulness for family court. Both expand Ainsworth's three ABC infant categories. The Berkeley method adds a fourth Disorganised/Unresolved category in adulthood, but has low specificity and validity for risk parents. The DMM method identifies an expanding array of strategies across the lifespan, as neurological development makes more complex strategies possible. This study examined DMM-AAI classifications in a sample of 332 British AAIs and compared the results to published meta-analyses of the Berkeley AAI. Six a priori hypotheses addressed the central question raised: which classificatory method for the AAI is more useful for child protection? DMM-AAI classifications differentiated between (i) normative adults, (ii) parents with mental health problems, (iii) parents in family court proceedings and (iv) incarcerated violent criminals on attachment, psychological trauma and pervasively high or low arousal. We assert that the DMM-AAI is sufficiently valid and discriminating for court use and that it can contribute to court decision-making when integrated with other assessments and clinical reports.

show abstract

‘So the child feels loved’: Mothers with learning disabilities' experiences of attachment and emotional relationships with their children

Hevesi,

Theodore

2024

Brit J Learn Disabil

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundMothers with learning disabilities are at higher risk of child removal and mental health difficulties and may face more barriers to developing attachment relationships with their children. Mothers with learning disabilities' voices are still underrepresented in research, with less known about those who are actively parenting their children. This study aimed to explore mothers' perceptions of developing emotional relationships with their children.MethodsMothers with learning disabilities who were actively parenting were recruited via advocacy groups across the United Kingdom. Semi‐structured interviews with 10 mothers who self‐identified as having learning disabilities were analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsThree key themes were generated: (1) Understanding and Facilitating Attachment Relationships, (2) Barriers to the Attachment Relationship and (3) Bidirectional Nature of Relationships: Child Needs Mother, Mother Needs Child. Overarching experiences of powerlessness, autonomy and resilience were prominent across mothers' experiences.ConclusionsMothers acknowledged the importance of close emotional relationships with their children. Subthemes highlighted that mothers recognised the importance of behaviours that mirrored attachment theory, including reciprocity and proximity seeking. Mother–child relationships faced varying challenges including separation and conflict between the mother's and the child's needs. Findings indicate the need to support mothers through a trauma‐informed attachment perspective, especially in the context of maternal mental health needs and where children may also have additional needs.

show abstract

Using Parental Attachment in Family Court Proceedings: DMM Theory about the Adult Attachment Interview

Cited by 8 publications

References 28 publications

Assessment Tools in Child Protection Practice and Research

Assessment Tools in Child Protection Practice and Research

Using Parental Attachment in Family Court Proceedings: An Empirical Study of the DMM‐AAI

‘So the child feels loved’: Mothers with learning disabilities' experiences of attachment and emotional relationships with their children

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About