Paving the way: From early attachment theory to contemporary bereavement research

Abstract

This paper examines the origin and development of Bowlby's attachment theory and its impact on contemporary bereavement research. Adopting a personal perspective, it outlines the evolution of Bowlby's ideas, their influence on our research and understanding of grief and grieving, and the reciprocal impact of the ideas of bereavement researchers on Bowlby's thinking about attachment and separation through death. It traces Bowlby's fascination with the relationship between maternal deprivation and children's mental health from his early monograph Child Care and the Growth of Love (1953) through to his epic trilogy Attachment and Loss (1969, 1973, 1980). It illustrates the continuing influence of attachment theory in the bereavement field by examining contemporary research on the relationship between attachment styles, forms of complicated grieving and ways of coping with loss. Suggestions for further integration of attachment theory into the bereavement research field are made.