Attachment in childhood and adolescence – normative development, disorders and intervention

Attachment is not a new concept; it has been extensively researched for many years. Attachment plays a crucial role in a child’s physical, neurological, cognitive, and psychological development. It forms the foundation for the development of trust or mistrust and shapes how a child will interact with the world, learn, and form relationships throughout their life. Promoting secure attachment is especially important as it supports mental processes that enable the child to regulate emotions, reduce fear, attune to others, develop self-understanding and insight, exhibit empathy, and engage in appropriate moral reasoning. The course will enhance our understanding of attachment and attachment disorders which is critical for both understanding the child and providing effective treatment.

Further more the participants will be introoduced to af newly deveoped tool for assessing attachment disorders in children and adolescents.

Aim of the course

The aim of this course is to gain both foundational and advanced knowledge about patterns of attachment as a normative development and attachment disorders as a psychiatric condition. This will be approached in terms of both assessment and intervention. The course specifically focuses on attachment and attachment disorders in children and adolescents.

Learning objectives

The participants will be able to recognise different patterns of attachment - normal as well as pathological and get introduced to an assessment tool that can help the clicinian in this differentiation. The aim is also to be familiar with different intervention possibilities.

Teaching methods

Lectures and blackboard teaching

Course themes

The primary theme in this course is attachment - normal patterns of attachment as well as pathological patterns and these patterns effect on our personality development.

Target group

The course is primarily intended for clinical psychologists working with children an adolescents in child- and adolescent psychiatry and similar fields.

Instructors

For this course, we have invited some experienced international researchers and clinicians. Our instructors are:

Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg: Professor and psychologist with a research focus on attachment and emotion regulation in parents and children, with a special emphasis on neurobiological processes in parenting and development. She is one of the developers of the attachment-based intervention VIPP-SD for children 0-6 years old and their parents. Marian is currently a full professor at ISPA Lisbon and is affiliated with the Center for Attachment Research, New York, and the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Astrid Røsland Seim: Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in Norway and holds a PhD. Her research has primarily focused on attachment disorders among adolescents in the Norwegian population raised in institutional care.

Guy Bosmans: Professor of clinical psychology at KU Leuven, specialist in attachment-based family therapy for children and adolescents.

Program

Day 1: Attachment – Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg

Newest evidence on patterns of attachment from childhood to adolescence and adulthood: normative development, stability of patterns, intergenerational transmission, relationto psychopathology, and genetics. Introduction to assessment instruments and interventions in relation to early childhood.

Day 2: Attachment Disorders – Astrid Røsland Seim

Attachment disorders as a psychiatric diagnosis: distinctions from and correlations with normative patterns of attachment. Introduction to assessment and treatment.

Day 3: Attachment Style and Intervention – Guy Bosmans

Attachment-informed family therapy during middle childhood and adolescence. Evidence and techniques.

Preparation and homework

It is advised to read some of the literature mentioned below.

Literature

Van IJzendoorn, M.H.; Bakermans-Kranenburg, M.J. (2019). Bridges across the intergenerational transmission of attachment gap. Current Opinion in Psychology, 25, 31-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.02.014

Juffer F., Bakermans-Kranenburg M.J. & Van IJzendoorn M.H. (2017). Pairing attachment theory and social learning theory in video-feedback intervention to promote positive pa-renting. Current Opinion in Psychology, 15, 189-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.012

Van Vlierberghe, L.; Diamond, G. & Bosmans, G. (2023). Middle childhood attachment- based family therapy: Theory and model description. Family Process, 62, 3, 1040-1054. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/famp.12887

Bosmans, G.; Leen Van Vlierberghe, L.V.; Bakermans‑Kranenburg, M.J.; Kobak, R.; Hermans, D.; Ijzendoorn, M.H.V. (2022) A Learning Theory Approach to Attachment Theory:Exploring Clinical Applications. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 25, 591-612. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10567-021-00377-x

Scott, S., Diamond, G.S., & Levy, S.A. (2016). Attachment-based family therapy for suicidal adolescents: A case study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 37,154-176.

Siem, A.R. et al. (2020) Development and Examination of the Reactive Attachment Disorder and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder Assessment Interview. Assessment, Vol27 (4) 749-765

If interested in more:

Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. & Van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2024). Family matters. Growing up in family-based care makes a world of a difference. Proceedings of the Shevchenko Sci-entifi c Society. Medical Sciences,1(73). https://mspsss.org.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/992

Forhåndsgodkendelse

Søges forhåndsgodkendt for 18 timer til det tværgående modul på specialistuddannelserne: klinisk neuropsykologi men børn og unge, psykoterapi, klinisk børne- og ungepsykologi, pædagogisk psykologi, psykopatologi.