Attachment across the Lifecourse

This thought-provoking and illuminating guide will be a helpful companion for students and professionals across the fields of psychology, counselling, social work, and health.
It explains the key concepts and describes how the main attachment types play out both in childhood and later life, and it identifies some of the intriguing questions being explored by research, such as: 'What part do individuals' attachment histories play in adult relationships?' and 'What scope is there for attachment styles established in infancy to change later in life?'
Part I introduces the reader to the key conceptual components of modern attachment theory. Part II then covers the four main attachment patterns (secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganised) that have been identified by attachment researchers. Each pattern is explored and examined as it plays out across the life course. The mental health, physical health and relationship issues associated with each pattern are also considered. Part III takes a step back and acknowledges some of the unresolved questions and controversies that continue to stimulate the theory.
The second edition features a brand new chapter which considers the application of attachment theory across various settings, including forensic settings, child protection practice, and parenting interventions.

David Howe OBE is Emeritus Professor of Social Work at the University of East Anglia, UK.
Lucy Betts is a Professor in Social Developmental Psychology and Lead Research Co-ordinator for the School of Social Sciences at Nottingham Trent University, UK.

Introduction
Part 1: Attachment Theory, Models and Measures
1. Attachment Behaviour
2. Emotions and their Regulation
3. The Internal Working Model
4. Patterns of Attachment
5. Attachment in Adulthood
Part 2: Attachment Patterns, Types and Styles
6. Secure Attachments in Childhood
7. Secure Attachments in Adulthood
8. Avoidant Attachments in Childhood
9. Avoidant and Dismissing Attachments in Adulthood
10. Ambivalent Attachments in Childhood
11. Anxious and Preoccupied Attachments in Adulthood
12. Disorganised and Controlling Attachments in Childhood
13. Fearful Avoidant Attachments and Unresolved States of Mind in Adulthood
Part 3: Issues and Debates
14. Temperament, Disability and Gender: The Interaction of Nature and Nurture
15. Attachment across the Lifecourse: Continuity and Discontinuity, Stability and Change
16. Use and Misuses of Attachment Theory
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index