Dysfunctional attachment and psychopathological outcomes in childhood and adulthood

Attachment is defi ned as a dynamic system of attitudes and behaviours that contribute to the formation of a specifi c bond between two people; a constraint whose roots can be traced in the primary relationships established between child and adult. In the psychological fi eld, the term is used to identify the relationships that are established with the caregiver; it can be "functional" when it represents a secure base, or "dysfunctional" when it represents an insecure or even disorganized base. The present work identifi es the general framework of reference, with specifi c indications concerning clinical and psychopathological profi les, in infancy and adulthood, arising from the failure or erroneous establishment of the caregiver.