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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffReactive attachment disorder is a rare but serious condition in which infants and young children don't establish healthy bonds with parents or caregivers.
A child with reactive attachment disorder is typically neglected, abused, or moved multiple times from one caregiver to another. Because the child's basic needs for comfort, affection and nurturing aren't met, he or she never establishes loving and caring attachments with others. This may permanently alter the child's growing brain and hurt their ability to establish future relationships.
Reactive attachment disorder is a lifelong condition, but with treatment children can develop more stable and healthy relationships with caregivers and others. Safe and proven treatments for reactive attachment disorder include psychological counseling and parent or caregiver education.
- Reactive attachment disorder of infancy or early childhood. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed June 23, 2009.
- Reactive attachment disorder. In: Moore DP, et al.: Handbook of Medical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2004. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/145545363-3/0/1243/32.html?tocnode=52436085&fromURL=32.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02911-6..50032-4_311. Accessed June 23, 2009.
- Newman L, et al. Recent advances in the theories of and interventions with attachment disorders. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2007;20:343.
- Haugaard JJ, et al. Recognizing and treating uncommon emotional disorders in children and adolescents who have been severely maltreated: Reactive attachment disorder. Child Maltreatment. 2004;9:154.
- Cornell T, et al. Clinical interventions for children with attachment problems. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing. 2008;21:35.
- Hanson RF, et al. Reactive attachment disorder: What we know about the disorder and implications for treatment. Child Maltreatment. 2000;5:137.
- Report of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children Task Force on Attachment Therapy, RAD and Attachment Problems. American Psychiatric Association. http://www.apa.org/divisions/div37/RADTaskForceManuscript.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Coercive interventions for reactive attachment disorder. Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children. http://www.attach.org/apsac.htm. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Child Abuse and Neglect Committee. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/policy_statements/coercive_interventions_for_reactive_attachment_disorder. Accessed June 29, 2009.
