Background Extant literature indicates that childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with adverse intergenerational outcomes, including a heightened risk of CM exposure in the next generation. Research findings also suggest that attachment may play a central role in this phenomenon. Objectives To examine whether the intergenerational cycles of CM and insecure and disorganized attachment coexist, the current study aimed to investigate: 1) whether parents' attachment mediates the association between severity of parental CM history and child exposure to maltreatment; 2) whether children's CM exposure mediates the association between parental CM history and child attachment. Participants and setting Participants were 79 mother-child dyads (32 girls, 47 boys, Mage = 5.31 years): 29 dyads followed by child protection services (CPS) and 50 dyads from a community sample. Methods Mothers responded to the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Attachment Multiple Model Interview. Children completed the Attachment Story Completion Task. Results Maternal CM exposure was associated with (i) children's CM exposure through maternal attachment insecurity and disorganization (β = 0.18, 95% bootstrap CI [0.05, 0.31]) and (ii) child attachment insecurity and disorganization through children's CM exposure (β = 0.16, 95% bootstrap CI [0.07, 0.28). Conclusions These findings provide preliminary evidence for a possible intertwining of intergenerational cycles of CM and insecure and disorganized attachment, highlighting the complex nature of these processes. They emphasize the need for trauma-informed child protection practice with children, but also parents, who have often themselves been exposed to CM, and highlight the importance of addressing attachment in both generations.

The aim of this study was to examine whether attachment to each parent moderates the relationship between bullying victimisation and self-esteem. The sample consisted of 250 junior high school students (114 males, 136 females; mean age: 11.3 years). The administered scales were the Bully/Victim Questionnaire Revised, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment for Children and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed that early adolescents subjected to bullying had lower self-esteem than non-bullied peers. For girls, attachment to mother also accounted for self-esteem over and above the effect of bullying. For boys, attachment with the father appeared as a pure moderator of the effect of bullying as the association with self-esteem was non-significant when attachment scores were high. The findings suggest that attachment to same sex parents may foster better self-esteem in the face of bullying. Parents' participation in preventive measures could be encouraged.

ObjectiveThis meta-analysis aimed to synthesize research findings on the association between contact with biological parents and mental health in the context of out-of-home care.BackgroundAlthough contact with biological parents is the primary intervention for maintaining the relationship with placed children, the consequences on child mental health are still unknown.MethodSix electronic databases were searched for published and unpublished studies and dissertations.ResultsTwenty studies comprising 96 effect sizes (N = 5,276) were included. Findings from a three-level random effects meta-analysis revealed that the combined effect of contact with biological parents on mental health was not significant (k = 20, u = 96, r = .02). Moderation analyses revealed weaker effect sizes in samples with greater proportions of children who were physically abused or placed in nonrelative foster care. Conversely, parental visitation was more strongly associated with mental health outcomes in samples in which frequency of contact was at least weekly.ConclusionRegular parental visitation (at least weekly) is associated with better mental health outcomes. However, the benefits of parental visitation are reduced among physically abused children and those placed in nonrelative foster care.ImplicationsModerator analyses suggest that considering parental visitation to be beneficial for children is an oversimplification. Instead, child welfare services should prioritize examination of factors associated with positive parent-child contact for optimal visitation measures.

OBJECTIVE:Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with disorganized attachment which, in turn, is linked to a range of negative outcomes including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When maltreatment within the family leads to out-of-home placement, examining the effects of multiple attachment relationships on children's outcomes seems appropriate. This study examined whether (a) attachment to each biological parent mediates the association between CM and PTSD and whether (b) attachment to a foster parent mitigates the effects of CM and of attachment to biological parents on PTSD. METHOD:Ninety-six adults placed during childhood responded to the Attachment Multiple Model Interview to assess attachment to each biological parent and to the foster parent, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for PTSD, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire for CM. Past records were used to substantiate responses on factual information regarding CM. RESULTS:Partial Least Squares Path Modeling analyses show that (a) attachment (insecurity and disorganization) with the biological mother partially mediates the link between maltreatment and PTSD and that (b) attachment to the foster parent moderates the link between attachment to the mother and PTSD. Although attachment insecurity to the father is associated with maltreatment severity, it does not mediate its effect on PTSD. CONCLUSIONS:Findings suggest that secure and organized attachment with the mother or with an alternative caregiver is associated with a reduced risk of PTSD following maltreatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Research findings have shown that parental history of childhood maltreatment (CM) increases the risk of insecure and disorganized attachment in offspring. However, the extent of the detrimental effects of childhood trauma on attachment in the next generation is unclear. The current meta-analyses aimed at synthesizing the available literature on the link between parental history of CM and offspring attachment insecurity and disorganization (with no restriction of offspring age). In total, 25 studies (23 unique samples; N = 2,592) comprising u = 61 effect sizes were included. Offspring age ranged from 12 to 79 months (Mweighted = 18.69; SDweighted = 11.53). Findings from two three-level random effects meta-analyses revealed a weak but significant combined effect of parental history of CM on child attachment insecurity (k = 20, u = 35, r = .06) and a non-significant effect on child attachment disorganization (k = 12, u = 26, r = .03). For the meta-analysis on disorganization, effect sizes were weaker in more recent studies, and trim and fill analyses provided evidence of publication bias. These findings provide a nuanced view of the intergenerational transmission of childhood trauma phenomenon, whereby parents' self-reported history of CM does not appear decisive for child attachment. Conclusions could not be drawn for specific types of CM because of the small number of studies. Research with more objective measures of parental exposure to CM is needed to gain a more comprehensive view of the possible intergenerational effects of CM on child attachment.

Links between reflective functioning (RF; the ability to conceive of mental states and to interpret human behavior accordingly) and concurrent attachment security have been found in both childhood and adulthood. However, the respective contributions of early and concurrent attachment security in adult RF remain unknown. This study examines the contributions of attachment security to the mother in early childhood and of concurrent attachment security to each parent in young adults' RF. Eighty-one low-risk participants (49 girls and 32 boys) from average income families took part in this longitudinal study. Attachment security was assessed at 4 years of age with a composite measure of mother-reported Attachment Q-Sort and observer ratings of the quality of mother-child interactions. At age 23, the Attachment Multiple Model Interview was administered to assess participants' attachment security to each parent. RF was coded from the participants' attachment narratives using the Reflective Functioning Scale. Attachment security to the mother at age 4 was found to be associated with RF in adulthood. Also, an interactive effect between attachment to the mother and attachment to the father in adulthood was related to RF, suggesting that attachment with one parent moderates the effect of attachment with the other parent on RF. These findings emphasize the importance of both early and concurrent attachment security in the capacity to understand mental states in adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

L’intervention relationnelle est particulièrement adaptée pour répondre aux cas de négligence car elle repose sur les réactions de l’enfant comme guide pour ajuster les comportements parentaux. Grâce au visionnement commenté de courts échanges filmés entre l’enfant et son parent, ce dernier peut, avec l’aide de l’intervenant, apprendre à repérer le caractère plus ou moins sensible de ses agissements (ou absence d’agissements) à travers les réponses de l’enfant. Pour rendre le parent réceptif aux observations de l’intervenant, celui-ci veille à identifier et souligner les comportements positifs et adaptés qu’il présente, renforçant ainsi leur fréquence d’apparition et lui permettant de développer un plus grand sentiment de compétence et une meilleure compréhension des besoins de son enfant. Cet article vise à présenter le programme d’intervention relationnelle, sa structure et ses cibles. Cette présentation est illustrée par une vignette clinique. Ce programme a été évalué dans le cadre d’une recherche-action, fondée sur un essai randomisé contrôlé, menée en France auprès de familles suivies par les services de protection de l’enfance. De telles pratiques professionnelles révèlent une amélioration significative des comportements des parents et des enfants par rapport à l’intervention habituelle.

L’article fait le point sur une nouvelle conceptualisation de l’attachement, qui n’est plus envisagé comme un trait général de la personne, mais comme un fonctionnement à la fois comportemental et représentationnel spécifique à chaque relation, selon plusieurs continuums (sécurité, inhibition, hyperactivation, désorganisation du système d’attachement). La notion de « modèles multiples » et ses liens avec l’attachement désorganisé sont discutés ; l’auteure propose de distinguer les cas où il existe des représentations contradictoires concernant un même événement de ceux où un modèle spécifique pour différentes relations a été formé, le deuxième cas n’étant pas pathologique, à la différence du premier. Cette conception de l’attachement en permet une étude beaucoup plus fine, utile à la fois sur un plan clinique et pour la recherche. L’Attachment Multiple Model Interview (AMMI) est présenté, ainsi que l’usage qui peut en être fait dans la pratique et dans la recherche. Il devient possible de démêler la part relative de l’attachement à chaque personne, qu’il s’agisse de la mère, du père, d’une autre figure de soin (par exemple, chez les enfants placés ou chez les personnes âgées), d’un thérapeute ou encore d’un conjoint. Et outre le rôle spécifique de chacun et leurs effets cumulatifs, les interactions entre ces différents attachements peuvent elles aussi rendre compte de mécanismes de compensation (résilience) dans le développement psychologique de la personne. Les similitudes entre les relations (ou rigidité du fonctionnement), ainsi que les variations peuvent également être examinées.

The literature suggests that maternal insecure attachment is a risk factor for postpartum depression which, in turn, affects motherinfant bonding. However, recent research in attachment suggests that the investigation of attachment networks provides further insight in the understanding of psychological outcomes. This study aims to test a model according to which mothers' attachment towards each of their parents contributes to explain attachment towards their romantic partners, which itself is associated with maternal postpartum depression and, in turn, with motherinfant bonding. The Attachment Multiple Model Interview, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire were administered to 90 mothers of infants under 6 months of age (32 with postpartum major depression). Results showed that attachment towards the partner (1) is best explained by attachment to the father and (2) mediates the link between attachment to the father and depression severity. Also, depression severity mediates the link between attachment to the partner and motherinfant bonding. These results highlight the role of attachment models towards the romantic partner and the father in the perinatal period and the relevance of attachment-focused therapeutic programs in treating postpartum maternal depression.

BackgroundTo document whether the sociocognitive peculiarities of people with Down Syndrome impact the construction of attachment at different ages, a systematic review of the literature was carried out.MethodThis review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, was conducted on three databases: psycINFO, MEDLINE, and Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection (1975-2021). Twelve studies were included.ResultsMost children with Down syndrome develop specific attachment patterns in infancy and childhood, and around half of them become secure. However, the risk of exhibiting atypical/unclassifiable or disorganised attachment is higher among children with Down syndrome compared to typically developing children. Findings are mixed regarding the specific role of cognitive disability.ConclusionThese findings highlight the fact that Down syndrome does not preclude the establishment of secure attachment. However, more research is needed to understand what the unclassifiable category represents in terms of attachment.

Background: Childhood maltreatment is associated with insecure/disorganized attachment and in turn with suicidal risk (SR). Despite maltreatment, contact with biological parents is maintained during out-of-home placement. However, its impact on SR remains unclear.Objective: Examine whether (1) contact with parents is linked with SR and (2) with insecure/disorganized attachment to parents, and whether (3) contact moderates the link between maltreatment and SR and (4) between attachment and SR.Method: Ninety-one adults (64 females) placed during childhood passed the Childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ), the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) (for SR), and the Attachment Multiple Model Interview (AMMI). Participants' records were used to determine contact with biological parents and maltreatment.Results: Results show that contact with both parents is positively linked with SR. Furthermore, contact with mother moderates (increases) the link between maltreatment and SR. It is also associated with insecure and disorganized attachment and moderates its effect on SR.Conclusions.Findings suggest that decisions to maintain contact with parents could be modulated as a function of attachment to biological parents. They bring new questions about the role of mother-child attachment and whether interventions aimed at improving this relationship are called for when contact is maintained. More research is needed to examine how this may be critical in terms of suicidal risk.

This longitudinal study investigates whether the quality of family interactions at 3-5 years of age predicts narrative abilities in 7-9-year-old children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families. The sample consists of 67 children and their parents receiving social welfare. Family interactions were filmed during mealtime at home and coded using the Mealtime Interaction Coding System. Children's narrative abilities were measured based on their capacity to coherently elaborate and resolve stories from the Attachment Story Completion Task. Results revealed that children exposed to family interactions of higher quality make their narratives more accessible and understandable and include more appropriate expression of affects in their stories 4 years later, even after accounting for maternal education and verbal abilities. The results of this study highlight the importance of considering family interactions in the context of financial insecurity when studying socioemotional competence in childhood.