Attachment-based interventions in early childhood: An overview

In this chapter intervention programs that focus on parental sensitivity and child-parent attachment relationships are discussed. Attachment theory suggests that children's current and later development is most optimal when they trust their parent(s) as the secure base from which they can explore the world and to which they can return for comfort and protection. In a small number of studies the intervention was directed toward low-risk, nonclinical families. In most studies the intervention was directed toward high-risk or clinical families, with children at risk for problematic socioemotional development, or parents in disadvantaged settings, or a combination of both. For future research, it will be interesting to study intervention effects not only on attachment security, but also on a broader array of positive child behaviors. Finally, narrative reviews cannot decisively inform researchers and clinicians about the effectiveness of (aspects of) intervention programs.