Theraplay® is an attachment-based intervention involving adults and children which is practised in a variety of settings across the world. The aim of this scoping review is to explore how Theraplay® has been used as an intervention with children and families in order to inform future practice and to identify any gaps in the current literature. By…

Background: There is a high prevalence of challenging behaviors (CB) in adults with intellectual disability (ID), which lead to negative personal outcomes and diminished quality of life. Emerging evidence suggest attachment theory could be useful to address CB in adults with ID and lower the negative impact on their social environment. Methods: A…

There is strong evidence that children of mothers with insecure attachment styles have poor outcome trajectories. "Maternal sensitivity" may be the behaviour which links mother and child attachment models. This would, therefore, be a natural target for treatment in attachment interventions. A systematic literature review was conducted to…

Background: The link between disorders of attachment and psychopathology is well documented. Consequently, a person's attachment style has a profound effect on his or her development and psychological well-being. At-risk populations such as adopted children are more prone to developing pervasive patterns of attachment, given the maternal…

Background: Though noted in the clinical literature for more than 50 years, attachment disorders have been studied systematically only recently. In part because of the ubiquity of attachments in humans, determining when aberrant behavior is best explained as an attachment disorder as opposed to insecure attachment has led to some confusion. In…

Adolescents with intellectual disability are at significant risk for developing concomitant mental health and behavior problems. Youth who experience "dual diagnosis" face great challenges, and require interventions that will promote their autonomy, self-determination, and adaptive functioning. In this article, we devote attention to…

The aim of this article is to demonstrate how relational experiences with parents and preschool teachers provide children with a feeling of security that facilitates the development of competence in different domains. We first focus on the mechanisms regarding how secure attachments to parents serve as an important foundation for later…

A theory-led narrative approach was used to unpack the complexities of the factors that enable successful client adherence following one-to-one health interventions. Understanding this could prepare the provider to anticipate different adherence behaviours by clients, allowing them to tailor their interventions to increase the likelihood of…

Children with emotional difficulties often experience problems at school in terms of academic progress and within peer relationships. They are also more likely to continue to experience emotional problems in their adult lives. Nurture groups (NGs) were developed in the 1960s by the educational psychologist Majorie Boxall and their aim is to…

This paper reviews the medical (salutogenic) effect of interventions that aim to improve quality of life. Review of studies where the global quality of life in chronically ill patients was improved independently of subjective and objective factors (like physical and mental health, yearly income, education, social network, self-esteem, sexual…

Attachment is of key importance in childhood development. The quality of attachment relationship between the child and parent/primary caregiver may have an effect on the child and future relationships and social success (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 1998). When a child fails to bond with a caring adult, attachment becomes disordered and children may…

Describes attachment theory, explores its application to group counseling, and elaborates points of interest to group workers. Focuses on attachment styles, attachment and caregiving, the group leader's goals, the group as an attachment experience, interventions based on attachment theory, its use in psychoeducational groups, and complexities in…

This article presents various techniques for improving parent-child relationships during infancy and early childhood. It covers assessment of the parent-infant relationship and discusses interaction-focused intervention, which involves sensitivity to social cues, reciprocity, and enhancement of quiet states; and knowledge-focused intervention,…

Maternal substance abuse is the most common factor involved when children come to the attention of the child welfare system. Although there is a clear need for clinical trials to evaluate parenting interventions for drug-dependent women, few studies to date have systematically examined the efficacy of interventions for this population. We first…

In an effort to understand the emotional impact of abuse, many studies have been conducted to investigate the type of emotional problems suffered by abused children and to identify variables which may make them susceptible to damage. For example, studies have correlated emotional problems with age at which abuse occurred and with the type and…