Who developed the Attachment and Health psychological model?
Attachment and Health
John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth developed attachment theory in the 1960s while investigating the effects of maternal separation on infant development.[4] The development of the Strange Situation task in 1965 by Ainsworth and Wittig allowed researchers to systematically investigate the attachment system operating between children and their parents.[5] The Strange Situation involves separating infant-parent dyads and observing infant behaviours upon reunion. Infant behaviour tended to follow patterns, leading to the development of three attachment categories: Secure, Anxious-Avoidant, and Anxious-Resistant. In 1990, Ainsworth added a new category, championed by Mary Main, called Disorganized/Disoriented attachment, characterized by its less reliable pattern of behaviour.[6]
Attachment and Health
Maunder and Hunter outline 3 ways in which insecure attachment can serve as a risk factor for health problems: 1) it may increase one’s susceptibility to stress by changing stress physiology, 2) it may be related to potentially harmful behaviours undertaken to regulate affect, and 3) it may change the way people interact with the healthcare system.[1]