Sustained effects on attachment security in middle childhood: results from a randomized clinical trial of the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention.

Abstract

Interventions have been developed to promote the development of secure and organized attachments during early childhood among children who have experienced early adversity, yet little is known about whether the effects of these early interventions are sustained beyond 12months postintervention. The current study examined whether receiving the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC) intervention during infancy led to improvements in perceived attachment security in middle childhood among 100 Child Protective Services (CPS)-referred children. Children and parents were randomized to receive ABC or a control intervention during infancy. Children completed the Kerns Security Scale at age nine (Mage =9.46, SD=0.36). (Trial Registry Name: Intervening Early with Neglected Children; Registry ID: NCT02093052; URL for registry: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02093052?term=dozier&rank=1). Children whose parents received ABC reported higher levels of attachment security on the Kerns Security Scale at age nine than children whose parents had received the control intervention, t(98)=2.31, p=.023, d=0.49. Findings underscore the long-term benefits of intervening early to promote caregiving quality among at-risk families and demonstrate the efficacy of a brief 10-session intervention in promoting attachment security over the span of eight years in a sample of CPS-referred children.