Developmental pathways of disorganized attachment abuse and altered early care

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Published

2022-06-30

How to Cite

Álvarez-Segura, M., & Lacasa Saludas, F. (2022). Developmental pathways of disorganized attachment abuse and altered early care. Revista De Psiquiatría Infanto-Juvenil, 39(2), 29–40. https://doi.org/10.31766/revpsij.v39n2a4

Issue

Vol. 39 No. 2 (2022): Abril-Junio

Section

Review article
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Europe PMC

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31766/revpsij.v39n2a4

Keywords:

Disorganized attachment, bond, abuse, trauma, disturbed interactions

Abstract

This article exposes the development pathways of disorganized attachment. For this purpose, the first part of the text clarifies the difference between disorganized attachment and reactive attachment disorder, which are often confused. Next, the tests to assess disorganized attachment at different ages and the indicators that best identify it will be presented.

The last part of the article exposes the different evolutionary routes that lead to disorganized attachment. These have been basically classified into three categories: direct abuse, parental mental states and parental risk behaviors. As it will be seen throughout the reading, the development of a disorganized attachment is the result of different evolutionary pathways that have been clarified and better understood in recent years. These different routes are not independent, but on many occasions converge and influence each other, which complicates the development of organized attachment strategies in children and adolescents. The understanding of these routes has direct clinical application to programs for the prevention and treatment of child abuse, as well as to the approach and treatment of developmental psychopathology. This raises the need for psychiatrists to be trained in the evaluation and treatment of disturbed parental-child interactions.

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