Importancia del apego en el desarrollo del psiquismo / [Importance of attachment in the development of psychism]

ABSTRACT

John Bowlby refers to attachment as the special affect and trust bond that a child establishes with other emotionally significant people, who constitute a source of security and protection. The main figure of attachment during childhood is generally the person who fulfills the maternal function (primary caregiver), although it is also established with the father, brothers/sisters, grandparents, and others. The approaching behavior could be activated by different stimuli which depends on each person and his/her developing stage. This bond is developed according to experiences and relationships in the first years of life - experiences stored in mental representations (internal working models), which influence the individual’s psychic organization. Different instruments allow to make evident the different types of attachment bonds and to establish a correlation between parents and children. The Attachment makes up a valid theoretical and methodological model for the investigation, prevention and treatment in mental health.