Attachment Theory and Early Childhood Mental Health

This chapter surveys central ideas and findings in attachment theory and their applications to early childhood mental health Topics include caregiver sensitivity and relational security as central features of early psychological well-being; infant and parent mental representations (internal working models) of relationships and their mutual influence; multiple attachments and the impact of relationships on relationships; and attachment as a relational construct. Attachment-informed early childhood mental health treatment and preventive programs are also discussed.