Abstract
This article reviews research examining the effects of adverse early caregiving on relationships throughout the lifespan. Central attachment constructs are summarized and integrated into a review of research on the long-term effects of institutional rearing and child maltreatment. Findings are interpreted within the organizational perspective on development, which conceptualizes attachment as a stage-salient task of infancy that influences the reorganization of adaptive/maladaptive functioning around subsequent stage-salient tasks. Children who experience adverse early caregiving are more likely to exhibit aberrant attachment behaviors, deficits in social-emotional competencies, and persisting difficulties in social functioning and relationship outcomes. Disorganized attachment behavior stemming from adverse early caregiving has been a major focus of this work. Intervention efforts that target mental representations related to attachment relationships can facilitate improved social functioning. Clinical implications of this work are discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 203-217 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2017 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The preparation of this article was supported by grants from the Jacobs Foundation, the National Institute of Health (grant MH091070), and the Spunk Fund Inc.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Psychological Association. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., on behalf of the American Psychological Association
Keywords
- attachment
- caregiving
- institutional care
- maltreatment
- randomized control trial interventions
- relationships