| Abstract [eng] |
“There is but one true luxury, and it is that of human relations” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Attachment theory posits that the type of attachment that develops as a result of the child's early experiences with the caregiver has a significant impact on the child's later development, self-awareness, emotion regulation, ability to adapt to the environment, peer relationships and learning. During my PhD I investigated the relationship between attachment and behavioural and emotional disorders in middle childhood (8-11 years). This age group is under-researched from an attachment perspective and is interesting because of the emergence of other significant adults in the child's life beyond the immediate family. So it was meaningful for me to look at how the relationship between the professionals working in the daycare centre and the child can help a child with adverse childhood experiences. Together with my research collaborators, we conducted two case-series studies involving children with adverse childhood experiences and symptoms of behavioural and emotional disorders. I implemented the Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) in both study centres. Due to the limitations of the study design, we can only draw preliminary conclusions, but they are encouraging: the therapeutic relationship seems to have improved the mental health status and attachment security of most of the participants. I hope that the results of this work will lead to the development of much-needed long-term psychosocial interventions in Lithuania, where the therapeutic relationship between a professional and a child would be a key factor. It is my hope that this work will assist professionals working with children to consider and value the essential need for children to have at least one stable and enduring relationship with an adult who is responsive to their needs. |
