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reactive attachment disorder

MedGen UID:
141906
•Concept ID:
C0525043
•
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Synonyms: Attachment Disorder, Reactive; Attachment Disorders, Reactive; Disorder, Reactive Attachment; Disorders, Reactive Attachment; Reactive Attachment Disorder; Reactive Attachment Disorders
SNOMED CT: Reactive attachment disorder (41526007)

Definition

Markedly disturbed and developmentally inappropriate social relatedness that begins before age 5 and is associated with grossly pathological child care. The child may persistently fail to initiate and respond to social interactions in a developmentally appropriate way (inhibited type) or there may be a pattern of diffuse attachments with nondiscriminate sociability (disinhibited type). (From DSM-V) [from MeSH]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • reactive attachment disorder

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Development and Validation of a Measure of Attachment Disorders Based on DSM-5 Criteria: The Early TRAuma-Related Disorders Questionnaire (ETRADQ).
Monette S, Cyr C, Terradas MM, Couture S, Minnis H, Lehmann S
Assessment 2022 Apr;29(3):556-571. Epub 2020 Dec 31 doi: 10.1177/1073191120981763. PMID: 33380162
Reactive attachment disorder and disinhibited social engagement disorder in adolescence: co-occurring psychopathology and psychosocial problems.
Seim AR, Jozefiak T, Wichstrøm L, Lydersen S, Kayed NS
Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022 Jan;31(1):85-98. Epub 2020 Nov 13 doi: 10.1007/s00787-020-01673-7. PMID: 33185772Free PMC Article
Annual research review: Attachment disorders in early childhood--clinical presentation, causes, correlates, and treatment.
Zeanah CH, Gleason MM
J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2015 Mar;56(3):207-22. Epub 2014 Oct 31 doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12347. PMID: 25359236Free PMC Article

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Attachment Disorders.
Hornor G
J Pediatr Health Care 2019 Sep-Oct;33(5):612-622. doi: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2019.04.017. PMID: 31447013
Interventions for children with reactive attachment disorder.
Vega H, Cole K, Hill K
Nursing 2019 Jun;49(6):50-55. doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000554615.92598.b2. PMID: 31124856
Senseless Violence: An Overview.
Rokach A
J Psychol 2017 Jan 2;151(1):107-111. doi: 10.1080/00223980.2016.1260406. PMID: 28001966
The significance of insecure attachment and disorganization in the development of children's externalizing behavior: a meta-analytic study.
Fearon RP, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van Ijzendoorn MH, Lapsley AM, Roisman GI
Child Dev 2010 Mar-Apr;81(2):435-56. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01405.x. PMID: 20438450
Challenges in treating post-traumatic stress disorder and attachment trauma.
Allen JG
Curr Womens Health Rep 2003 Jun;3(3):213-20. PMID: 12734032

Diagnosis

A Systematic Review of Mental Health Disorders of Children in Foster Care.
Engler AD, Sarpong KO, Van Horne BS, Greeley CS, Keefe RJ
Trauma Violence Abuse 2022 Jan;23(1):255-264. Epub 2020 Jul 20 doi: 10.1177/1524838020941197. PMID: 32686611
Attachment Disorders.
Hornor G
J Pediatr Health Care 2019 Sep-Oct;33(5):612-622. doi: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2019.04.017. PMID: 31447013
Treating childhood trauma.
Terr LC
Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2013 Jan;22(1):51-66. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2012.08.003. PMID: 23164127
The significance of insecure attachment and disorganization in the development of children's externalizing behavior: a meta-analytic study.
Fearon RP, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van Ijzendoorn MH, Lapsley AM, Roisman GI
Child Dev 2010 Mar-Apr;81(2):435-56. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01405.x. PMID: 20438450
Serial murder and the case of Aileen Wuornos: attachment theory, psychopathy, and predatory aggression.
Arrigo BA, Griffin A
Behav Sci Law 2004;22(3):375-93. doi: 10.1002/bsl.583. PMID: 15211558

Therapy

A prospective longitudinal study of Reactive Attachment Disorder following early institutional care: considering variable- and person-centered approaches.
Guyon-Harris KL, Humphreys KL, Degnan K, Fox NA, Nelson CA, Zeanah CH
Attach Hum Dev 2019 Apr;21(2):95-110. Epub 2018 Jul 23 doi: 10.1080/14616734.2018.1499208. PMID: 30037301Free PMC Article
Insecure Adult Attachment and Child Maltreatment: A Meta-Analysis.
Lo CKM, Chan KL, Ip P
Trauma Violence Abuse 2019 Dec;20(5):706-719. Epub 2017 Sep 7 doi: 10.1177/1524838017730579. PMID: 29333992
Management of a child with nutritional rickets, multiple cavities, enamel hypoplasia, and reactive attachment disorder.
Hallas D, Herman NG, Benichou L, Morales EL, Touchette L
J Pediatr Health Care 2015 May-Jun;29(3):283-8. Epub 2015 Jan 20 doi: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2014.11.010. PMID: 25616861
Psychiatric outcomes in young children with a history of institutionalization.
Bos K, Zeanah CH, Fox NA, Drury SS, McLaughlin KA, Nelson CA
Harv Rev Psychiatry 2011 Jan-Feb;19(1):15-24. doi: 10.3109/10673229.2011.549773. PMID: 21250893Free PMC Article
Postraumatic stress disorder and reactive attachment disorder: outcome in an adolescent.
Lyon GJ, Coffey B, Silva R
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2008 Dec;18(6):641-6. doi: 10.1089/cap.2008.1863. PMID: 19108670

Prognosis

A Systematic Review of Mental Health Disorders of Children in Foster Care.
Engler AD, Sarpong KO, Van Horne BS, Greeley CS, Keefe RJ
Trauma Violence Abuse 2022 Jan;23(1):255-264. Epub 2020 Jul 20 doi: 10.1177/1524838020941197. PMID: 32686611
A prospective longitudinal study of Reactive Attachment Disorder following early institutional care: considering variable- and person-centered approaches.
Guyon-Harris KL, Humphreys KL, Degnan K, Fox NA, Nelson CA, Zeanah CH
Attach Hum Dev 2019 Apr;21(2):95-110. Epub 2018 Jul 23 doi: 10.1080/14616734.2018.1499208. PMID: 30037301Free PMC Article
Disorganized attachment in infancy: a review of the phenomenon and its implications for clinicians and policy-makers.
Granqvist P, Sroufe LA, Dozier M, Hesse E, Steele M, van Ijzendoorn M, Solomon J, Schuengel C, Fearon P, Bakermans-Kranenburg M, Steele H, Cassidy J, Carlson E, Madigan S, Jacobvitz D, Foster S, Behrens K, Rifkin-Graboi A, Gribneau N, Spangler G, Ward MJ, True M, Spieker S, Reijman S, Reisz S, Tharner A, Nkara F, Goldwyn R, Sroufe J, Pederson D, Pederson D, Weigand R, Siegel D, Dazzi N, Bernard K, Fonagy P, Waters E, Toth S, Cicchetti D, Zeanah CH, Lyons-Ruth K, Main M, Duschinsky R
Attach Hum Dev 2017 Dec;19(6):534-558. Epub 2017 Jul 26 doi: 10.1080/14616734.2017.1354040. PMID: 28745146Free PMC Article
A threshold approach to understanding the origins of attachment disorganization.
Bernier A, Meins E
Dev Psychol 2008 Jul;44(4):969-82. doi: 10.1037/0012-1649.44.4.969. PMID: 18605828
Both maternal sensitivity and atypical maternal behavior independently predict attachment security and disorganization in adolescent mother-infant relationships.
Moran G, Forbes L, Evans E, Tarabulsy GM, Madigan S
Infant Behav Dev 2008 Apr;31(2):321-5. Epub 2008 Feb 20 doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2007.12.012. PMID: 18282606

Clinical prediction guides

A Systematic Review of Mental Health Disorders of Children in Foster Care.
Engler AD, Sarpong KO, Van Horne BS, Greeley CS, Keefe RJ
Trauma Violence Abuse 2022 Jan;23(1):255-264. Epub 2020 Jul 20 doi: 10.1177/1524838020941197. PMID: 32686611
Investigating the Association Between Parental Absence and Developmental Trauma Disorder Symptoms.
Zhang Y, Zhang J, Ding C
J Trauma Stress 2019 Oct;32(5):733-741. Epub 2019 Sep 25 doi: 10.1002/jts.22446. PMID: 31553495
The significance of insecure attachment and disorganization in the development of children's externalizing behavior: a meta-analytic study.
Fearon RP, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van Ijzendoorn MH, Lapsley AM, Roisman GI
Child Dev 2010 Mar-Apr;81(2):435-56. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01405.x. PMID: 20438450
Both maternal sensitivity and atypical maternal behavior independently predict attachment security and disorganization in adolescent mother-infant relationships.
Moran G, Forbes L, Evans E, Tarabulsy GM, Madigan S
Infant Behav Dev 2008 Apr;31(2):321-5. Epub 2008 Feb 20 doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2007.12.012. PMID: 18282606
Assessment of anxiety in young children.
Warren SL, Dadson N
Curr Opin Pediatr 2001 Dec;13(6):580-5. doi: 10.1097/00008480-200112000-00016. PMID: 11753111

Recent systematic reviews

A Systematic Review of Mental Health Disorders of Children in Foster Care.
Engler AD, Sarpong KO, Van Horne BS, Greeley CS, Keefe RJ
Trauma Violence Abuse 2022 Jan;23(1):255-264. Epub 2020 Jul 20 doi: 10.1177/1524838020941197. PMID: 32686611
A Systematic Review of Reviews of the Outcome of Severe Neglect in Underresourced Childcare Institutions.
Carr A, Duff H, Craddock F
Trauma Violence Abuse 2020 Jul;21(3):484-497. Epub 2018 May 20 doi: 10.1177/1524838018777788. PMID: 29779452
Insecure Adult Attachment and Child Maltreatment: A Meta-Analysis.
Lo CKM, Chan KL, Ip P
Trauma Violence Abuse 2019 Dec;20(5):706-719. Epub 2017 Sep 7 doi: 10.1177/1524838017730579. PMID: 29333992
Attachment, Development, and Mental Health in Abused and Neglected Preschool Children in Foster Care: A Meta-Analysis.
Vasileva M, Petermann F
Trauma Violence Abuse 2018 Oct;19(4):443-458. Epub 2016 Sep 22 doi: 10.1177/1524838016669503. PMID: 27663993
Decreasing rates of disorganised attachment in infants and young children, who are at risk of developing, or who already have disorganised attachment. A systematic review and meta-analysis of early parenting interventions.
Wright B, Hackney L, Hughes E, Barry M, Glaser D, Prior V, Allgar V, Marshall D, Barrow J, Kirby N, Garside M, Kaushal P, Perry A, McMillan D
PLoS One 2017;12(7):e0180858. Epub 2017 Jul 14 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180858. PMID: 28708838Free PMC Article

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