An introduction to attachment disorders

When health workers attend mental health training courses, they learn about a wide range of conditions. One of these is attachment disorder, which is a complex and broad-spectrum disorder with a variety of root sources and outcomes. Here are the basics of what you should know.

What is attachment disorder?

Children who have not had their needs met as they develop may struggle to develop healthy emotional connections and attachments as they grow up. This can be called insecure attachment. It’s common in children who are not with their biological parents, who grew up in foster care, who have backgrounds of neglect or abuse or who were adopted. Sometimes it is seen in children who have spent long periods of time in the hospital.

What are the signs of attachment disorder?

As students learn on mental health training courses, attachment is measured on a spectrum, and if people struggle with it, they may show signs that include antisocial behaviours, lack of physical affection, problems with self-regulation, learning, flexibility, empathy, and indiscriminately seeking comfort from strangers. The most serious forms of attachment disorders are called Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder. These issues are caused by our early lives shaping how we create attachments.

What are the treatments for attachment disorders

Treatments include counselling, therapy, parenting skills classes and mental health/medication support. These treatment paths may take many months or years to show a meaningful change, and in some cases, they may need to continue as a constant throughout the child’s life as they progress through adulthood, and navigate a healthier, happier emotional life.