Attachment Relationships

Rapid physical and neurological development occurs during the first months and year of life, commonly known as infancy. While research documents a host of biological, psychological, economic and cultural factors that impact development during infancy, there is also an array of literature from John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth, Erik Erikson and others whose works argues for or infers that infancy is the most critical time for the development of healthy attachment relationships. Healthy attachment relationships lead to an enhanced capacity for development, whereas unhealthy attachment relationships trigger a host of developmental issues that will impact the infant even into adulthood. This analysis will review the literature on infancy and attachment relation

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negative ways because healthy development does not occur. A lack of forming healthy attachment relationships can have a debilitating impact on infant mental health, including undermining resiliency and the ability to cope during childhood and even later life. According to Schore (2001, p. 7), ôThe infantÆs early developing right hemisphere has deep connections into the limbic and autonomic nervous systems and is dominant for the human stress response, and in this manner the attachment relationship facilitates the expansion of the childÆs coping capacities.ö Efficient right brain function is a factor that contributes to resilience for optimal developmental health during infancy and the subsequent stages of the life cycle. Adaptive infant mental health represents the earliest expression of developing flexible strategies for coping with novelty and stress that is ôinherent in human interactions,ö (Schore, 2001, p. 7). Lack of development of such strategies will have a negative impact on attachment relationships as well as social interaction skills. There are numerous other reports in the literature of the significance of the period of infancy on the formation of healthy attachment relationships. According to Crowell (1994) Fre
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Developmentally Erikson, According Perrin, Child Development, Kaplan Cassidy, Strange Laboratory, Mary Ainsworth, Withdrawal Capps, Vivien Gregory, Kornblum Julian, Russell Patterson, child development, attachment relationships, gay parents, healthy attachment, children raised, healthy attachment relationships, mental health, attachment theory, raised gay, heterosexual parents, children lesbian, raised gay parents, impact child development, infant mental health, forming healthy attachment,
Approximate Word count = 6621
Approximate Pages = 26 (250 words per page)

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