Review of Manualised Attachment-Based Interventions

Learn more about manualised attachment-based interventions and about how interventions improve the caregiver-infant relationship.

This webinar will:

• Give an overview of manualised attachment-based interventions, for caregivers and infants up to two years*

• Present findings from a systematic review of the evidence on which interventions demonstrate improvements in the caregiver-infant relationship.

• Offer guidance to healthcare professionals for the consideration of training, delivery and implementation.

*This excludes interventions which include video-feedback as a core component as these have been comprehensively reviewed elsewhere.

Presenters: Chloe Crompton 1,2 & Anja Wittkowski 1,2,3

1. School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, UK

2. Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, UK

3. Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, UK

Abstract

Background/aims: Attachment-based interventions, if offered early, can improve caregiver-infant relationships. These interventions have often been manualised, allowing greater accessibility and wider implementation. As the identification of effective manualised attachment-based interventions can facilitate their application into clinical practice, this webinar will outline findings from our systematic review which had two aims: 1) to identify and provide an overview of manualised attachment-based interventions, without video-feedback as a core component (as comprehensively reviewed elsewhere), for caregivers and infants from conception to two years and 2) to determine which of these interventions were effective in demonstrating improvements in the caregiver-infant relationship.

Methods: To effectively identify the range of eligible interventions and empirical support, two search stages were undertaken: 1) for relevant manualised attachment-based interventions, and 2) for studies for included interventions that focussed on caregiver-infant relational outcomes. In both stages, published studies were identified from electronic database searches, supplemented by manual searching of reference lists and websites.

Results: Twenty-five manualised attachment-based interventions were originally identified. Empirical evidence was found for 16 of these 25 interventions, resulting in 36 studies meeting the review inclusion criteria. Findings revealed that there was some evidence in relation to improving caregiver-infant relational outcomes in these 16 interventions, with stronger evidence determined for three interventions. Nine interventions had no eligible evidence.

Conclusions: As part of this webinar we will offer guidance to healthcare professionals for the consideration of training, delivery and implementation.