Effect of Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH TM ) Parenting Program on Parent-Infant Attachment, Parental Reflective Function, and Parental Depression.

High-risk families exposed to toxic stressors such as family violence, depression, addiction, and poverty, have shown greater difficulty in parenting young children. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of ATTACH TM , a 10-12 session manualized one-on-one parental Reflective Function (RF)-based parenting program designed for high-risk families. Outcomes of parent-child attachment and parental RF were assessed via the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) and Reflective Function Scale (RFS), respectively. The protective role of ATTACH TM on parental depression was also assessed. Data were available from caregivers and their children < 6 years of age who participated in five pilot randomized control trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies (QES; n = 40). Compared with the control group, caregivers who received the ATTACH TM -program demonstrated a greater likelihood of secure attachment with their children ( p = 0.004) and higher parental RF [self ( p = 0.004), child ( p = 0.001), overall ( p = 0.002)] in RCTs. A significant improvement in parental RF ( p = 0.000) was also observed in the QES within ATTACH TM group analysis. As attachment security increased, receiving the ATTACH TM program may be protective for depressed caregivers. Results demonstrated the promise of ATTACH TM for high-risk parents and their young children.