Longitudinal predictors of attachment disorganization: Sociodemographic risk and maternal disrupted caregiving

Attachment disorganization has enduring consequences for children's socioemotional health. Although disrupted caregiving (e.g., frightening or intrusive behaviors) is a strong antecedent of attachment disorganization, much of its variance remains unexplained, highlighting the need to identify additional precursors. This longitudinal study examined the combined effects of mothers' observed disrupted caregiving at six months of age, and their self-reported psychopathology, childhood maltreatment history, and sociodemographic risk, on infant attachment disorganization in the strange situation procedure at 22 months of age. Participants included 285 mother-infant dyads (52% boys; 80% white) from a Canadian pregnancy cohort. Sociodemographic risk (β = .15), disrupted caregiving (β = .27), and their interaction (β = .24) were associated with attachment disorganization. Sociodemographic risk was associated with greater attachment disorganization only at high levels of disrupted caregiving. Intervention strategies that address both caregiving behaviors and broader sociodemographic risks are needed to reduce attachment disorganization.