Bowlby: Secure Attachment Analysis

Bowlby believed that infants are a product of evolutionary processes pre-coded with a survival instinct to form an attachment with an individual to provide it with comfort, guidance, safety and security (Bowlby 1958, cited in Lishman 2007) Generally attachments were formed with responsive persons who interacted and played with the child a lot, simple caregiving such as nappy changing was itself not an important factor. This strong attachment to the primary caregiver provides a strong base for exploration and reissuance when the child felt insecure (fox, 1977 pg 109). Bowlby believed that there are four main features of attachment. These are safe haven, he believed that the primary care giver would make the child feel safe, secure base, here

The caregiver is readily available and responsive to the infant’s needs and emotions. When an infant develop trust in the availability and reliability of this relationship. The internal working models for the infants is likely to be one their anxiety is reduced and they can therefore explore and enjoy their world, safe in the knowledge that they can return to their secure base for help if needed and can emotionally regulate oneself. The child grows up to be confident, less disruptive and aggressive than the other groups, able to form long lasting relationships and have

These four attachment theories had general impact on later life secure attachments became able to create meaningful relationships and emphatic. Avoidant become avoided closeness, distant, critical or rigid. Ambivalent became anxious, insecure and controlling. Disorganise become chaotic, aggressive and abusive. This list is just an example and is in no way exact in what will happen in later life. Understand attachment contributes to the understanding what is involved in the commonness of mental health and challenging behaviour for people with an ID, 20-39% show problems with mental health (Hatton & Taylor2005), whereas the general population has 16-25% (Meltzer et al.1995). There is significant risk for poor mental health for people with ID. Having knowledge of these attachments allows those in Healthcare to understand and create vital relationships with patients especially those with an ID, Attachment is the bonding, connection, nurture, trust and security. The key is to make them feel safe and secure in a care environment. Understand how these attachments work is a must for any professional care giver. In the UK Manchester Attachment Scale-Third party observational measure known as MAST is used with people with an ID and