Mother-infant and father-infant attachment among alcoholic families.
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This study examined the association between fathers' alcoholism and other risk factors such as parental depression, family conflict, infant temperament, and parent-infant attachment. The quality of parent-infant interactions was hypothesized to be a proximal mediator of the associations among alcoholism and other risk factors and attachment. The participants were 223 families (104 nonalcoholic families and 119 alcoholic families) with 12-month-old infants recruited through birth records. Infants in families with two parents with alcohol problem had significantly higher rates of insecure attachment with both parents. Structural Equations Modeling indicated that the fathers' alcohol problem was associated with lower paternal sensitivity (higher negative affect, lower positive engagement, and lower sensitive responding) during father-infant play interactions, and this in tum was associated with higher risk for infant attachment insecurity with fathers. The association between the fathers' alcohol problem and infant attachment security with the mother was mediated by matemal depression, and matemal alcohol problems and family conflict were associated with maternal sensitivity during play interactions. These results indicate that the fathers' alcoholism is associated with higher family risk including the quality of the parent-infant relationship; infant attachment develops in a family context; and this context has a significant association with attachment security. (+info)
Thinking about children's attachments.
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Disordered parental attachment can commit children to lives characterised by relationship difficulties, behaviour problems, educational failure, and poor self-esteem. It is a major root of trans-generational neglect and abuse and frequently underlies mental health problems, drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness, and crime. Early childhood setting of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function appears to contribute to these costly difficulties. More broadly, the concept of attachment can contribute to defining and managing the psychosocial dimension of routine paediatric care. The current under-representation of attachment in paediatric education, practice, and research needs to be rectified. (+info)
Genetic, environmental and gender influences on attachment disorder behaviours.
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BACKGROUND: Despite current interest in attachment disorder, there is concern about its discrimination from other disorders and an unproven assumption of an environmental aetiology. AIMS: To test whether behaviours suggestive of attachment disorder are distinct from other childhood behavioural and emotional problems and are solely environmentally determined. METHOD: In a community sample of 13,472 twins, we carried out factor analysis of questionnaire items encompassing behaviours indicative of attachment disorder, conduct problems, hyperactivity and emotional difficulties. We used behavioural genetic model-fitting analysis to explore the contribution of genes and environment. RESULTS: Factor analysis showed clear discrimination between behaviours suggestive of attachment disorder, conduct problems, hyperactivity and emotional problems. Behavioural genetics analysis suggested a strong genetic influence to attachment disorder behaviour, with males showing higher heritability. CONCLUSIONS: Behaviours suggestive of attachment disorder can be differentiated from common childhood emotional and behavioural problems and appear to be strongly genetically influenced, particularly in boys. (+info)
Behavioral, interactional and developmental symptomatology in toddlers of depressed mothers: a preliminary clinical study within the DC:0-3 framework.
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Relations between maternal depression and infant behavior, attachment and development were examined within a clinical diagnostic framework. The sample consisted of a study group of 15 infants and their mothers with depression compared to a group of 16 infants and their mothers with no diagnosable psychiatric disorders. The study group scored lower on expressive (p < .03), receptive (p < .05) and overall communication (p < .03) and coping skills (p < .03) of the Vineland and total scales (p < .05) of both developmental measures and higher on psychosocial stressor severity assessments (p < .01). More mother-infant dyads in the study group presented with relationship disorders (p < .01) with considerably lower PIR-GAS (global assessment scale for parent-infant relationship) scores (p < .001). Infants of depressed mothers were also significantly more likely to show problematic attachment behavior to their mothers (p < .01). As a factor leading to the increased risk of childhood developmental problems and psychopathology, maternal depression requires special attention during clinical assessment of infants and toddlers. (+info)
Longitudinal association between infant disorganized attachment and childhood posttraumatic stress symptoms.
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Identification of child maltreatment using prospective and self-report methodologies: a comparison of maltreatment incidence and relation to later psychopathology.
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