Attachment-Based Intervention and Prevention Programs for Young Children

Bowlby’s attachment theory is a theory of both psychopathology and normal socio-emotional development. It is based on the idea that the early relationship that develops between the infant and caregiver provides the foundation for later development. Bowlby’s theory attempts to explain how the early relationship contributes to psychological well-being or later psychopathology. The term attachment is used to describe the affective bond that develops between an infant and caregiver. 1,2 Attachment is not a characteristic of the infant, nor is it a characteristic of the caregiver. Rather, it is a pattern of emotional and behavioural interaction that develops over time as the infant and caregiver interact, particularly in the context of the infant’s needs and bids for attention and comfort.