Passing Bonds: The Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment Styles to Offspring
Passing Bonds: The Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment Styles to Offspring
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Issue Date
2025-03-10
Authors
Santarem Barbosa, Mariana
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Abstract
This paper examines how attachment styles are transmitted from caregivers to children and their impact on the mental health of the offspring, as well as their relationships with themselves and others. Different attachment styles and risk factors that lead to insecure attachments are examined. The paper also examines how caregiver behaviours influence a child's internal working model. Research is reviewed to show that secure and insecure attachment relationships primarily stem from maternal sensitivity, past relationship dynamics, parental mental health, and environmental influences. This capstone aims to support psychoeducational and counselling interventions. It integrates mentalizing, attachment-based interventions, and psychodynamics to help caregivers foster healthier attachment styles in their children, ultimately reducing the negative developmental effects of poor attachment patterns across generations.
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Keywords
attachment , intergenerational transmission , parenting , attachment styles , internal working models , insecure attachment
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess