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Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
ERIC Number: EJ696237
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-May-1
Pages: 10
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0890-8567
EISSN: N/A
Comparing Criteria for Attachment Disorders: Establishing Reliability and Validity in High-Risk Samples.
Boris, Neil W.; Hinshaw-Fuselier, Sarah S.; Smyke, Anna T.; Scheeringa, Michael S.; Heller, Sherryl S.; Zeanah, Charles H.
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, v43 n5 p568 May 2004
Objective: To determine whether published subtypes of attachment disorder can be reliably identified by trained clinicians reviewing data from high-risk populations and to investigate the relationship between disorder classification and standardized measures of attachment behavior. Method: Twenty or more children aged 18 to 48 months and their primary caregivers were recruited from three sites: a treatment team for maltreated young children (n = 20), a homeless shelter (n = 25), and Head Start centers (n = 24). All dyads completed a semistructured clinical assessment and laboratory and home-based attachment measures. Results: All but one type of attachment disorder could be identified reliably by clinician raters ([kappa] range = 0.62-0.74, depending on subtype). Children from the maltreatment sample were significantly more likely to meet criteria for one or more attachment disorders than children from the other groups (p < .001). As predicted, children without an attachment disorder were more likely to be classified as securely attached than those with an attachment disorder (p = .03); however, children classified as having disorganized attachment were not more likely to receive an attachment disorder diagnosis. Conclusions: Attachment disorders can be reliably diagnosed in young children, though research on refining disorder criteria should precede intervention trials. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2004;43(5):568-577. Key Words: reactive attachment disorder, diagnosis, infancy, early childhood.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, P.O. Box 1620, Hagerstown, MD 21741. Tel: 800-638-3030 (Toll Free); Fax: 301-223-2400.
Publication Type: Journal Articles
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A