Associations between infant social withdrawal and disorganized attachment

Disorganized attachment is an important risk factor for later child development but can only be reliable identified from 11 months of age. To prevent adverse child development, it is essential to identify factors associated with disorganized attachment that can be reliably assessed earlier in development. The present study investigates two potential risk factors, infant social withdrawal and maternal postpartum depression symptom severity, in a sample of 203 Danish mother-infant dyads. Infant social withdrawal (assessed using the Alarm Distress Baby Scale) and postpartum depression symptom severity (assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) were measured when the infant was between 2 and 11 months old. Attachment quality was assessed using the Strange Situation Procedure when the infant was between 11 and 20 months. Only infant social withdrawal was significantly associated with disorganized attachment, with indications of this being due to the infant's ability to engage in interactions. These findings highlight the importance of investigating infant behavior as a potential factor associated with later disorganized attachment.