Attachment, resilience and prevention

The purpose of this article is to outline relevant research in attachment and developmental psychopathology and to propose the approach as an epistemological framework underpinning the development of primary prevention and early intervention services with regard to mental health problems. Focusing on published evidence of effective interventions antenatally onwards, the article argues that secure attachment, which can be established in the very early years of the child's life, will provide the necessary resilience for the child to cope with many adverse life events as an adult without developing psychological or psychiatric symptomatology. The review includes practical suggestions and action points for a comprehensive primary prevention strategy, the singular aim of which would be to facilitate resilience and social competence from early childhood onwards.