Early Attachment Research Articles

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy for children living with adoptive parents or special guardians: a longitudinal assessment of the impact on child and caregiver wellbeing outcomes

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) is a form of psychotherapy for families where children and young people have experienced early trauma or attachment disruption. This study used longitudinal survey data to understand the format of DDP as it is provided in England for children who are adopted or subject of a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), and to analyse the potential effects of DDP on standardised outcomes of child and caregiver wellbeing. Participants were 150 families who received DDP through funding from the Department for Education’s Adoption Support Fund in England between 2018 and 2021. Adoptive parents and special guardians (caregivers) answered surveys at three timepoints; before therapy was provided (baseline), when therapy had ended (wave 2), and 6 months later (wave 3). Linear mixed modelling demonstrated significant improvements in child/young person difficulties in multiple subscales of the SDQ, including emotional difficulties and conduct problems, between baseline and wave 2. In the same time frame, similar improvements in caregiver wellbeing were also observed, as measured by the SWEMBS. These findings suggest an association between the provision of DDP and an improvement in child/young person and caregiver wellbeing on standardised measures, with these improvements maintained 6 months later. Implications and recommendations for future research to substantiate the findings are discussed.

An examination of nervous system revealed unexpected immunoreactivity of both secretory apparatus and excretory canals in plerocercoids of two broad tapeworms (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea).

Dibothriocephalus ditremus and Dibothriocephalus latus are diphyllobothriidean tapeworms autochthonous to Europe. Their larval stages (plerocercoids) may seriously alter health of their intermediate fish hosts (D. ditremus) or cause intestinal diphyllobothriosis of the final human host (D. latus). Despite numerous data on the internal structure of broad tapeworms, many aspects of the morphology and physiology related to host–parasite co-existence remain unclear for these 2 species. The main objective of this work was to elucidate functional morphology of the frontal part (scolex) of plerocercoids, which is crucial for their establishment in fish tissues and for an early attachment in final hosts. The whole-mount specimens were labelled with different antibodies and examined by confocal microscope to capture their complex 3-dimensional microanatomy. Both species exhibited similar general pattern of immunofluorescent signal, although some differences were observed. In the nervous system, FMRF amide-like immunoreactivity (IR) occurred in the bi-lobed brain, 2 main nerve cords and surrounding nerve plexuses. Differences between the species were found in the structure of the brain commissures and the size of the sensilla. Synapsin IR examined in D. ditremus occurred mainly around FMRF amide-like IR brain lobes and main cords. The unexpected finding was an occurrence of FMRF amide-like IR in terminal reservoirs of secretory gland ducts and excretory canals, which has not been observed previously in any tapeworm species. This may indicate that secretory/excretory products, which play a key role in host–parasite relationships, are likely to contain FMRF amide-related peptide/s.

Emotion dysregulation and symptoms of anxiety and depression in early adolescence: Bidirectional longitudinal associations and the antecedent role of parent-child attachment.

Difficulties in emotion regulation have been consistently associated with various psychological difficulties, including anxiety and depression; however, less is known about the directionality of this relationship, particularly in adolescents. In addition, early parent-child attachment quality has been closely linked to the development of emotion regulation. Previous studies have proposed an overarching model in attempt to describe the developmental trajectory of anxiety and depression from early attachment, albeit with several limitations that are discussed in this paper. This study adds to this field of research by investigating the longitudinal associations between emotion dysregulation (ED) and symptoms of anxiety and depression among 534 early adolescents in Singapore over three timepoints in a school year, and the antecedent role of attachment quality on individual differences on these variables. Bidirectional influences were found between ED and anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively, between T1 and T2, but not T2 and T3, at the between- and within-individual levels of analysis. Additionally, attachment anxiety and avoidance were both significantly predictive of individual differences in ED and for both psychological symptoms. The current findings provide preliminary evidence of a mutually reinforcing relationship between ED and symptoms of anxiety and depression in early adolescence, where attachment quality serves as a developmental antecedent that sets these longitudinal associations in motion.

The role of early attachment experiences in modulating defensive peripersonal space

Selecting appropriate defensive behaviours for threats approaching the space surrounding the body (peripersonal space, PPS) is crucial for survival. The extent of defensive PPS is measured by recording the hand-blink reflex (HBR), a subcortical defensive response. Higher-order cortical areas involved in PPS representation exert top-down modulation on brainstem circuits subserving HBR. However, it is not yet known whether pre-existing models of social relationships (internal working models, IWM) originating from early attachment experiences influence defensive responses. We hypothesized that organized IWM ensure adequate top-down regulation of brainstem activity mediating HBR, whereas disorganized IWM are associated with altered response patterns. To investigate attachment-dependent modulation on defensive responses, we used the Adult Attachment Interview to determine IWM and recorded HBR in two sessions (with or without the neurobehavioral attachment system activated). As expected, the HBR magnitude in individuals with organized IWM was modulated by the threat proximity to the face, regardless of the session. In contrast, for individuals with disorganized IWM, attachment system activation enhances HBR regardless of the threat position, suggesting that triggering emotional attachment experiences magnifies the threatening valence of external stimuli. Our results indicate that the attachment system exerts a strong modulation on defensive responses and the magnitude of PPS.

The associations between early maladaptive schemas and adult attachment styles: A meta-analysis.

The associations between early maladaptive schemas and adult attachment styles: A meta-analysis.

“Nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so”: Commentary on “The association between early maladaptive schemas and adult attachment styles: A meta-analysis”.

“Nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so”: Commentary on “The association between early maladaptive schemas and adult attachment styles: A meta-analysis”.

Od narodowych fantazji do teorii więzi: krytyka kultury Lauren Berlant w świetle brytyjskiej psychologii rozwoju człowieka

The article surveys Lauren Berlant’s ideas concerning the emotional functioning of the human being in the context of neoliberal capitalism and argues for their limitation resulting from Berlant’s focus on the society-ideology axis while overlooking the significance of the early bonds in the development of one’s emotional regulation. Contrary to the multiple Marxist interpretations of culture, Berlant emphasizes that politics is effective by shaping human fantasies of desire rather than merely producing ideology. In the case of the United States this mechanism mainly refers to creating a collective hope for a “good life”, which is carried on within the paradigm of the Weberian protestant ethics: through hard work, perseverance and self-reliance, that is according to the myth of the American dream. Simultaneously, authors working within the field of developmental psychology demonstrate the key significance of human early attachments for the shaping of one’s self-trust and emotional balance, which enables a more critical attitude towards the cultural norms of happiness and makes it possible to find satisfaction not through responding to the fantasies generated by culture, but through relationships with other empirically existing human beings. The article thus maintains that works by psychologists such as Donald Woods Winnicott, John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth fill in a significant void in Berlant’s writings and give hope for an overcoming of the “cruel optimism” impasse.

The transactional relationship between mother-child attachment, father-child attachment and self-compassion

Recent research indicates that the association between self-compassion and interpersonal relationships might be reciprocal. Many studies suggest that self-compassion originated from early parent-child attachment. As one of the earliest forms of interpersonal relationships, parent-child attachment may be influenced by self-compassion. Our study used a cross-lagged method to explore the reciprocal relationship between parent-child attachment and children's self-compassion. A total of 808 children (Mage = 9.58, SD = 0.95) participated in three follow-up surveys (T1 started in November 2018, T2 in May 2019, T3 in May 2020). The results indicated that there was a reciprocal relationship between mother-child/father-child attachment and self-compassion. Compared to father-child attachment, the reciprocal relationship between mother-child attachment and self-compassion was more stable. Meanwhile, both T1 mother-child and father-child attachment could influence T3 mother-child attachment through T2 children's self-compassion, indicating a dynamic virtuous circle in the family system. Our study provided implications for family education that building positive parent-child relationships was a great start to promoting healthy family functioning.

Postnatal maternal mental health and postnatal attachment.

Maternal mental illness has a significant influence on negative maternal and childhood outcomes. Few studies have focused on both maternal depression and anxiety, or explored the interplay of maternal mental illness and the mother-infant bond. We aimed to examine the relationship between early postnatal attachment and mental illness at 4 and 18 months postpartum. This was a secondary analysis of 168 mothers recruited from the BabySmart Study. All women delivered healthy term infants. Depression and anxiety symptoms were measured via the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Beck's Depression and Anxiety Inventory at 4 and 18 months respectively. Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS) was completed at 4 months. Negative binomial regression analysis investigated associated risk factors at both time points. The prevalence of postpartum depression fell from 12.5% at 4 months to 10.7% at 18 months. Anxiety rates increased from 13.1% to 17.9% at similar time points. At 18 months, both symptoms were new in almost two-thirds of women, 61.1% and 73.3% respectively. There was a strong correlation between the anxiety scale of the EPDS and the total EPDS p-score (R=0.887, p<0.001). Early postpartum anxiety was an independent risk factor for later anxiety and depression. High attachment scores were an independent protective factor for depression at 4 months (RR=0.943, 95%CI: 0.924-0.962, p<0.001) and 18 months (RR=0.971, 95%CI: 0.949-0.997, p=0.026), and protected against early postpartum anxiety (RR=0.952, 95%CI: 0.933-0.97, p<0.001). The prevalence of postnatal depression at 4 months was similar to national and international rates, although clinical anxiety increased over time with almost 1 in 5 women scoring in the clinical anxiety range at 18 months. Strong maternal attachment was associated with decreased reported symptoms of both depression and anxiety. The effect of persistent maternal anxiety on maternal and infant health needs to be determined.

Comparison of primary maladaptive schemas and attachment styles of women involved in emotional relationships with an age gap of 10 years or less and an age gap of 15 years or more (with male age advantage)

Aim: The current study aimed to compare early maladaptive schemas and attachment styles in women involved in romantic relationships with an age difference of 10 years or less and an age difference of 15 years or more (with the man being older). Method: This study was causal-comparative in nature; the statistical population comprised 91 individuals, with 50 women involved in romantic relationships with an age difference of 10 years or less (Group One) and 41 women in relationships with an age difference of 15 years or more (Group Two). Participants were selected through convenient and snowball sampling methods and responded to the Hazan and Shaver Attachment Styles Questionnaire (1987) and Young’s 90-item Schema Questionnaire (1990). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with SPSS software. Results: The findings indicated significant differences between the two groups in the anxious/ambivalent attachment style and avoidant attachment style components (P&lt;0.01). There were significant differences between the two groups in the components of emotional deprivation, mistrust, social isolation, defectiveness/shame, failure, dependence, vulnerability, emotional inhibition, entitlement/grandiosity, and self-sacrifice (P&lt;0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in the secure attachment style and components of abandonment, self-sacrifice, compliance, unrelenting standards, attention seeking, pessimism, and punishment (P&gt;0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that there are differences between early maladaptive schemas and attachment styles in women involved in romantic relationships with a minor and a greater age difference (with the man being older). The findings underscore the importance of schema-focused and emotion-focused approaches in resolving interpersonal conflicts in couples with significant age differences.

A multifunctional polymeric coating with self-adsorbed, antifouling and in situ remineralization properties for caries management.

Dental caries is a biofilm-induced bacterial infectious oral disease, where the early attachment of proteins and pathogenic bacteria to tooth surfaces has been known as the main cause of biofilm formation. Typically, dental caries is commonly accompanied by mineral depletion of enamels, thus causing dental demineralization. Multifunctional materials are highly attractive candidates for treating dental caries. Herein, we successfully synthesized diblock copolymers poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(aspartic acid) (PEG-PAsp) and modified them with alendronate sodium (ALN) to serve as bioactive bifunctional coatings (PEG-PAsp-ALN) on teeth. The PEG segments are employed for inhibiting proteins and bacterial adhesion. In addition, due to the presence of both PAsp and ALN, a synergistically strong binding capacity could be achieved with the tooth surface, thus promoting rapid and thorough remineralization in situ, while maintaining excellent safety. The combination treatment can significantly suppress the biofilm formation, which is beneficial for alleviating the demineralization of enamels caused by bacteria, and further, facilitate remineralization in situ. This approach thus demonstrates the potential of the copolymer PEG-PAsp-ALN coating as a multifunctional protecting layer on the tooth surface for high-efficiency prevention and treatment of dental caries.

Impact of Attachment Relationships on Anxiety and Depression

The review delves into the intricate interplay between attachment styles, depression, and anxiety, emphasizing their co-occurrence and profound impact on individuals’ well-being. It underscores the significance of early attachment experiences in shaping emotional regulation and psychological outcomes and how different attachment styles influence emotional well-being, particularly in relation to depression and anxiety. The research further explains the distinct attachment types, including secure, preoccupied, fearful avoidant, and dismissive-avoidant, and their implications on emotion regulation and psychological well-being. Secure attachment fosters positive self-perceptions and healthy relationships, while insecure attachment styles can lead to difficulties in emotional regulation, potentially contributing to heightened vulnerability to depression and anxiety. The study also delves into the societal and environmental factors that may exacerbate mental health challenges among adolescents. It sheds light on how attachment styles are intertwined with mental health outcomes, including depression, social phobia, and suicidal ideation. The review further emphasizes social anxiety’s moderating role in the relationship between attachment style and depression. This understanding holds important implications for clinical interventions, emphasizing the need for tailored treatment approaches that address both attachment patterns and emotional well-being. In conclusion, this comprehensive review provides a nuanced understanding of how early attachment experiences shape emotional regulation and influence mental health outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of considering attachment styles in clinical interventions and highlight the need for early support and intervention to promote mental well-being and prevent the development of anxiety and depression stemming from adverse childhood experiences.

Portraits by Young Proust and Rembrandt: A Merleau-Pontian Breach of the Spiritual-Material Dichotomy

Proust’s early attachment to Rembrandt, the master of chiaroscuro and portraiture, is seen in his two essays dedicated to the master, “Chardin et Rembrandt” and “Rembrandt”, and in his Rembrandtesque descriptions of human figures in Jean Santeuil. The present study reconsiders Jean Santeuil and Proust’s essays from the perspective of portrait painting, with an eye on the epitome of spirituality with which Rembrandt is often identified, and foregrounds the tension between Platonization and the attention to the material in Proust’s early attempts to appreciate and assimilate Rembrandt. Close examinations of Proust’s texts and Rembrandt’s works that commonly focus on the depiction of old age, the quality of “thinking” and the gaze in portraiture will be viewed through a Merleau-Pontian lens to illustrate the dynamics of the body in Proust’s vision of the dichotomy between the material and the spiritual.

The Impact of Early Attachment Styles on Chronic Illness Adjustment: A Qualitative Approach

The Impact of Early Attachment Styles on Chronic Illness Adjustment: A Qualitative Approach

Natural Knowledge at the Threshold of the Enlightenment

Italian contributions to the Enlightenment are most often discussed in terms of the slow acceptance of Newtonian science (Ferrone) or the obstacles to change within a quaint museum of antiquated states (Venturi). This case study of an important naturalist attempts to identify the paths to change between tradition and revolt, in fields of natural knowledge that are sometimes less regarded in the context of an international movement of intellectual emancipation. In spite of an early attachment to some form of physico‑theology, Antonio Vallisneri, professor of medicine at the University of Padua from 1700 to his death in 1730, made a number of innovative contributions to biological description and natural history which placed him among the forerunners of Georges Buffon. Heir to the empirical approach enshrined in the work of Marcello Malpighi, for the most part he attempted to avoid much of the philosophical and theological speculation raging between deists and atheists. However, the implications of his work, including activity as a science communicator to wider audiences, pointed to a reassessment of the importance of accurate natural knowledge in the ongoing reform of public instruction and cultural institutions then occurring in the major cities of Italy and abroad, an important plank in the Enlightenment program in the years leading up to the French Encyclopédie.

The Protective Factor of Early Childhood Attachments and the Risk Factor of Later Life Disruptive Use of Social Media Formats: Is There a Correlation between the Two?

ABSTRACT Introduction The use of numerous social media formats (SMFs) has grown exponentially over the past several years. In many cases it has become the sole source of communication, the sole source of entertainment, and, unfortunately in many instances it exhibits the characteristics of a disruptive behavior. As a result, it has interfered with fundamental relationships. Objectives The following research sought to examine if there is a negative correlation between the disruptive use of SMFs and an individual’s early life attachments to parents and/or other adults. Methods In order to determine if a correlation existed, the research participants completed 4 standardized questionnaires of which 3 measured early life attachments to mothers, fathers, and/or other adults and a single questionnaire that measured their later life disruptive use of a variety of SMFs. Results This research did identitfy a significant negative correlation does exist between the positive protective factor of early childhood attachments when measured against the risk factor of later life disruptive use of SMFs. This finding was true for research participants who identified only parental attachment figures but the strength of the correlation was enhanced when a research participant also identified an other adult as an early attachment figure. The research further identified that certain of the 9 subcategories of the Disruptive Use Scale were more significant for female research participants while other subcategories were more significant for male research participants. Conclusions This research clearly establisheda robust negative correlation between research participants’ early childhood attachment experiences and their later life disruptive use of SMFs. However, to generalize the above findings, additional research needs to be conducted that is more inclusive of a variety of research participants.

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: AN APPLICATION OF ATTACHMENT THEORY

Attachment theory has gained increased prominence over the past several decades in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and social work. Early attachment theory and research focused primarily on infant-mother attachments, but latest attachment research is more concerned with adult love relationships. Different attachment pairings (of secure and insecure – avoidant and anxious/ambivalent attachment styles) in marital relationships were found to be closely associated with the relationship quality and emotional well-being. The literature review shows that attachment security enhances relationships, while attachment insecurity contributes to intimate partner violence. This report aims to review existing literature related to the application of attachment theory to intimate partner violence and to discuss the theory’s strengths and limitations in understanding and resolving intimate partner violence.

Safety: From the Paris Morgue to Oxytocin.

On Tuesday April 21, 1896, Freud gave a lecture to the Viennese medical community arguing that "hysteria," as it was then known, was caused by memories of actual physical and sexual abuse suffered in childhood. Freud rightly felt that he had made a major discovery about the science of hysteria, of psychotherapy, and of the mind. However, his idea was ridiculed. Freud's reaction to his detractors was swift: "They can go to hell." Freud withdrew "into a cocoon." When he emerged a year later, he brought with him a new science-the "science" of psychoanalysis, which for all its creativity and imagination, was devoid of science. One of the core concepts that would be sacrificed was safety itself. The "reality" of safety (and thus the reality of danger) was replaced by the "phantasy" of safety (and thus the phantasy of danger). This article reexamines some of the science that psychoanalysis took out. In particular the article looks at early attachment, safety, oxytocin, and the role of the autonomic nervous system. The reintroduction of science to psychotherapy is critical if psychotherapy is to be a science of the mind.

Developmental antecedents of friendship satisfaction in adulthood.

Cross-sectional studies have shown that greater friendship satisfaction in adulthood is associated with many positive outcomes (Chopik, 2017; Gillespie, Frederick, et al., 2015). However, the developmental antecedents of satisfaction with close friends in adulthood have not been examined using prospective data. We do not know, for example, whether certain key experiences early in life, such as infant attachment security versus insecurity or the quality of maternal sensitivity, prospectively predict the degree of satisfaction with close friends in adulthood. We also do not know whether other salient experiences, such as the degree of peer competence in childhood or friendship security in adolescence, mediate relations between early life attachment and/or maternal sensitivity and adult friendship satisfaction. Leveraging data from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaption, we examined four developmental models containing these theoretically relevant antecedents of friendship satisfaction at age 32. The sample was approximately evenly split by gender (female = 82, male = 76), with the following ethnic distribution: White = 67.1%, Black = 8.9%, mixed race = 18.4%, other = 5.6%. All participants were born to mothers living below the poverty line at birth but on average were lower middle class by age 32. We found that the model containing direct paths from infant attachment security versus insecurity and from the quality of maternal sensitivity to friendship satisfaction at age 32 provided the best fit, suggesting that early parent-child relationships provide a foundation for later adult relationships with close friends. The implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Lewis x-carrying O-glycans are candidate modulators for conceptus attachment in pigs†.

Successful attachment of conceptus to the uterine luminal epithelium (LE) is crucial for establishing a functional placenta in pigs. However, the underlying mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. The uterine LE-conceptus interface is enriched in various glycoconjugates essential to implantation. Using MALDI-MS profiling, we identified for the first time the O-glycan repertoire of pig endometrium during the conceptus attachment stage. The expression pattern of blood group A, O(H), Lewis x, y, a, b (Lex, Ley, Lea, and Leb), the sialylated and sulfated Lex antigens in the uterine LE-conceptus interface was assessed using immunofluorescence assays. Notably, the Lex-carrying O-glycans exhibited a temporal-spatial expression pattern. They were absent in the endometrium on estrous cycle days but strongly and spatially presented in the conceptus and uterine LE to which the conceptus apposes during the early conceptus attachment stage. In addition, Lex-carrying O-glycans were co-localized with secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), a well-characterized factor that plays a role in promoting conceptus attachment through interacting with integrin αVβ3 and integrin αVβ6. Meanwhile, the immunoprecipitation assays revealed an interaction between the Lex-carrying O-glycans and SPP1, integrin αV, and integrin β6. Furthermore, we provided evidence that the β1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 (B4GALT1) gene is a potential regulator for Lex antigen expression in the uterine LE-conceptus interface during the early conceptus attachment stage. In conclusion, our findings show that Lex-carrying O-glycans, presumably dependent on B4GALT1 gene expression, might modulate conceptus attachment by interacting with the SPP1-integrin receptor complex in pigs.