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Cited by 81Psychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology ResearchAttachment and Relationship Dynamics

Attachment in mental health institutions: A critical review of assumptions, clinical implications, and research strategies

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Schuengel, C., van Ijzendoorn, M. H.·2001·Attachment & Human Development
DOI 10.1080/14616730110096906
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Abstract

Attachment is relevant to institutionalized treatment and the therapeutic process in three identifiable ways: (1) patients bring their mental representations of previous and existing attachment relationships to the treatment; (2) attachment is relevant to the extent to which a therapeutic alliance is established and maintained, both in terms of the mental representations of attachment in the patient and in the therapist and how these influence interactive behaviour and expectations in each partner to the therapeutic work; (3) the outcome of the treatment may be related to attachment; for example, when institutional experiences have an enduring impact on attachment representations and the future attachment behaviour of the patient. However, this brief review of attachment concepts reveals that several theoretical, conceptual and empirical questions remain to be answered before evidence-based clinical attachment guidelines can be formulated concerning patient-staff relationships.

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  • The model is rooted in the core idea that a critical pathway for healing and growth among children in group care is through experiencing a consistent pattern of positive, reciprocal interactions with supportive adults.

    “The model is rooted in the core idea that a critical pathway for healing and growth to occur among children in group care is through experiencing a consistent pattern of positive, reciprocal interactions with supportive adults”

    From Improving relationship quality in group care settings: The impact of implementing the CARE model (2020) · cites this paper as Schuengel & van IJzendoorn, 2001

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Schuengel, C., & van Ijzendoorn, M. H.
Affiliations
Department of Orthopedagogy, Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogy, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
ORCID
Schuengel, C.
Venue
Attachment & Human Development
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2001-12
Volume
3
Issue
3
Pages
304-323
ISSN
  • 1461-6734 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-2988
DOI
10.1080/14616730110096906
OpenAlex
W1995853819
Cited by
81
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 5
FWCI
0.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Attachment & Human Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
  • Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Keywords
attachment, psychiatric hospitals, therapeutic relationship, attachment representations, patient-staff relationships, treatment outcomes, attachment theory, clinical implications
MeSH terms
Mental Disorders, Patient Care, Hospitals, Psychiatric, Humans, Institutionalization, Object Attachment, Professional-Patient Relations, Psychiatry, Research

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