Attachment Theory and Mindfulness

J Child Fam Stud (2012) 21:709717 DOI 10.1007/s10826-011-9522-8

ORIGINAL PAPER

Attachment Theory and Mindfulness

Rose Snyder Shauna Shapiro David Treleaven

Published online: 30 August 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Abstract We initiate a dialog between two central areas in the eld of psychology today: attachment theory/ research and mindfulness studies. The impact of the early mother-infant relationship on child development has been well established in the literature, with attachment theorists having focused on the correlation between a mothers capacity for self-regulation and connection (e.g., attunement) with childrens health and developmental outcomes. Because the transition to parenthood is often a stressful one, research has also focused on the importance of the mothers external and internal support (e.g., self-awareness, recognition of needs) in promoting healthy mother-infant relationships. One promising eld in relation to increased internal support is mindfulness, a practice shown to increase emotional regulation while decreasing stress and anxiety. Described as non-judgmental, present-moment awareness, mindfulness has received signicant empirical attention over the past three decades and has recently been theorized as an important contributing factor in healthy motherchild relationships. Recognizing the potentially benecial effects of mindfulness training on healthy attachment, this article reviews relevant literature in presenting a case for exploratory and empirical research into the dynamic relationship between mindfulness, attachment style, maternal health, and childrens development. Grounds for this convergence, as well as suggestions for future research, are presented.

Keywords Attachment Mindfulness

Affect regulation Postpartum depression

Maternal stress

Introduction

The importance of the early mother-infant relationship on childrens development has been well established in the literature (e.g., Schore 1994; Siegel and Hartzell 2003; Sroufe 1988). Research has shown that a mothers ability to attune, regulate, and appropriately respond to an infant has signicant relational and developmental implications (Bowlby 1988; Brennan et al. 2000; Da Costa et al. 2000; Greenberg and Speltz 1988; Kendall-Tackett 2001; Sroufe 1988; Stern 1977). For example, depressed mothers with restricted affect, creating poor attunement, have more negative interactions with their children, leading to future behavioral problems (Brennan et al. 2000). Whereas, mother-infant dyads that include successful attunement and regulation have been linked with positive developmental outcomes and greater well-being for the children (Schore 1994).

The transition to parenthood is a time of potential stress for mothers (Crnic et al. 1983;...