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Why do some babies develop a detached attachment style?
Attachment dysregulation is a broad term used to describe disorders of emotion, behavior, and social relationships that result from the failure of the primary caregiver to provide normal social care and attention during early childhood. This failure may result from early experiences of neglect, abuse, sudden separation from a caregiver (usually between three months and three years of age), frequent caregiver changes or too many caregivers, or a lack of communication efforts with the child. response, leading to a lack of basic trust. Although problems with social relationships after the age of three may be distressing to a child, they do not lead to attachment disorders.
Attachment theory is primarily an evolutionary and ecological theory. For infants, it mainly refers to the behavior of seeking proximity to an attachment figure to promote survival in the face of threats.
Attachment is more than just a "bond"; it is not synonymous with love and affection, although the two often coexist. Healthy attachment is considered an important foundation for all subsequent relationships. Infants become attached to caregivers who are sensitive and responsive to adults in social interactions and remain consistent over time. Parental responses contribute to the development of attachment patterns, which in turn lead to "internal working models" that guide a person's feelings, thoughts, and expectations in subsequent relationships.
Basic trust is a concept closely related to attachment. It extends to a broader social network, includes others who can be trusted and cared for, and links confidence in the past with belief in the future. This sense of trust is fundamental to human development, and a lack of it will lead to feelings of despair.
Although there is a lack of consensus regarding the term "attachment disorder," it is generally believed that this disorder only develops after early adverse caregiving experiences.
Current official classifications, such as DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10, define reactive attachment disorder (RAD) primarily based on an understanding of the nature of attachment, which is characterized by a lack of approach behavior toward a designated attachment figure . This may occur in an institution or as a result of persistent disregard for the child's basic attachment needs due to extreme alienation from the primary caregiver. Attachment style refers to various types of attachment resulting from early caregiving experiences, such as secure, anxious-ambivalent and anxious-avoidant (all organized) and disorganized.
Of these, some styles are relatively more problematic and, although they do not constitute disorders in a clinical sense, are sometimes included in discussions of "attachment disorders."
According to Boris and Zeanah's classification, attachment disorders can be expanded into five main categories: lack of recognition of attachment objects, distortion of the stable basis, and disrupted attachment disorders. These classifications consider attachment disorder to be a variant requiring treatment rather than an individual difference within the normal range.
Many scholars leading attachment theory recognize the limitations of existing diagnostic criteria and propose broader diagnostic criteria, although there is currently no official consensus. These new standards drew greater attention to attachment issues from the professional community and called for further assessment recommendations to confirm that "attachment issues beyond reactive attachment disorder are indeed a legitimate concern for professionals working with children." and appropriate focus."
Some babies may develop poor attachment patterns due to a lack of opportunities to form relationships with favorite adults.
Most one-year-old children can tolerate brief separation from a familiar caregiver and are quickly comforted when the caregiver returns. These children are considered to have a secure attachment style and continue to develop well cognitively and emotionally. A smaller number of children display less desirable attachment styles, which may be indicative of poor future social development. Although these children's behavior was not a serious problem at one year of age, they appeared to be on a developmental path toward poor social skills and relationships.
Insecure attachment style manifests in young children as abnormal behavior when reunited with familiar people after separation. In these situations, the child may ignore the returning caregiver or may be approached but refuse to be picked up. Some younger children may display unexplained fear and feelings of loss of control upon reunion, which may interfere with their ability to regulate their emotions and thus promote aggressive behavior.
In some cases, research has shown that specific genetic markers are associated with the development of attachment disorders.
Appropriate attachment development is usually accompanied by natural responses to the caregiver's social signals, usually between seven and nine months, and the infant's social skills develop with social experience. This allows infants to appropriately interpret soothing or warning messages from a familiar caregiver's face or voice.
Thus, in this context, some infants may seek proximity from everyone due to a lack of distance from familiar adults who can provide comfort, while at the same time showing suspicious emotions towards everyone, which further leads to Abnormal development of attachment style.
In terms of diagnosis, recognized assessment methods include surprise situation procedures, separation and reunion procedures, and early childhood attachment assessments. These tools are continually used by researchers to explore and understand attachment styles, difficulties, or disorders in young children. For the treatment of attachment disorders, most traditional treatments focus on improving the caregiver's sensitivity and responsiveness, or changing caregivers when necessary.
Attachment disorder not only affects individual emotional development, but may also lead to future social adaptation problems. This leads us to think, now that we have a better understanding of detached attachment styles, how can we as a society support children in need?
