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John Bowlby Attachment Theory Essay

579 Words3 Pages

In the mental health field, it is now widely accepted that the contribution of John Bowlby’s through attachment theory has been instrumental in our understanding of the impact of early childhood relationships (Karen, 1994). According to this theory, as infants, human beings depend “on a consistent nurturing relationship with one or more sensitive caregivers to develop into healthy individuals” (van Rosmalen, van der Horst, & van der Veer, 2016, p. 22). Bowlby believed that the relationship with the primary caregiver, usually the mother, determined the life-long well-being of the individual (Bowlby, 1940). In reviewing Bowlby’s contributions, the authors of the book Shattered States: Disorganised Attachment and Its Repair describe how Bowlby’s …show more content…

The sense of safety provides the child with a secure base in the parent, leading to increased confidence that the child can explore the world (Bowlby, 1969). However, as John Bowlby observed, when the child does not experience sensitive protection from parents, she internalizes that the world is not a safe place, thus develops insecure attachment. These findings have been groundbreaking. As Yellin and White (2012) highlight, the mental health field, along with every human being are indebted to his contributions. They make the following statement regarding his work: “Bowlby succeeded in demonstrating, beyond all doubt, that mental health— our greatest prize—derives from consistent, reliable, and tender attachment relationships between infants and their caregivers (p. 8). They go on to explain the opposite to be true, that we can trace mental health disorders back to insufficient security in the primary bond during a time the infant was incredibly vulnerable (Yellin & White,

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