scholarly journals Prevalence of reactive attachment disorder in a deprived population

2013 ◽  
Vol 202 (5) ◽  
pp. 342-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Minnis ◽  
Susan Macmillan ◽  
Rachel Pritchett ◽  
David Young ◽  
Brenda Wallace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
General Population ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Reactive Attachment Disorder ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Attachment Disorder ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Population Prevalence ◽  
Reactive Attachment

BackgroundReactive attachment disorder (RAD) is associated with early childhood maltreatment and has unknown population prevalence beyond infancy.AimsTo estimate RAD prevalence in a deprived population of children.MethodAll 1646 children aged 6-8 years old in a deprived sector of an urban UK centre were screened for RAD symptoms. Parents of high and low scorers were interviewed using semi-structured interviews probing for psychopathology and individuals likely to have RAD were offered face-to-face assessment.ResultsQuestionnaire data were available from 92.8% of teachers and 65.8% of parents. Assessments were conducted with 50% of those invited and missing data were imputed - based on the baseline data - for the rest. We calculated that there would be 23 children with definite RAD diagnoses, suggesting that the prevalence of RAD in this population was 1.40% (95% CI 0.94-2.10).ConclusionsIn this deprived general population, RAD was not rare.

scholarly journals Type and timing of childhood maltreatment and reduced visual cortex volume in children and adolescents with reactive attachment disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 216-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi X. Fujisawa ◽  
Koji Shimada ◽  
Shinichiro Takiguchi ◽  
Sakae Mizushima ◽  
Hirotaka Kosaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Reactive Attachment Disorder ◽  
Attachment Disorder ◽  
Reactive Attachment

scholarly journals Thalamic Volume Is Related to Increased Anterior Thalamic Radiations in Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 4238-4245
Author(s):  
Minyoung Jung ◽  
Shinichiro Takiguchi ◽  
Shoko Hamamura ◽  
Yoshifumi Mizuno ◽  
Hirotaka Kosaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gray Matter ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Reactive Attachment Disorder ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Attachment Disorder ◽  
Diffusion Weighted Images ◽  
Reactive Attachment ◽  
Gray Matter Volumes ◽  
And Diffusion

Abstract Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is associated with childhood maltreatment and affects approximately 1% of the general population. Recent data suggest that childhood maltreatment is associated with brain alterations in white and gray matter. However, the neural mechanisms of RAD-related brain alterations remain unknown. Herein, we evaluated the white matter pathways and gray matter volumes in 31 and 41 age-matched children with RAD and typical development (TD), respectively, by analyzing T1- and diffusion-weighted images. An increased fractional anisotropy (FA) and axial diffusivity in the anterior thalamic radiations (ATR) and an increased volume in the bilateral pallidum and right thalamus were observed in children with RAD compared with those with TD. Moreover, the volume of the thalamus was associated with increased ATR FA in children with RAD. Our study confirmed the existence of atypical neurodevelopment processes in the thalamus, pallidum, and ATR in children with RAD and highlighted an interdependent relationship between the alterations in the thalamus and ATR. These findings may help to improve our understanding of the comprehensive neural mechanisms of RAD.

scholarly journals Reactive Attachment Disorder in the General Population: A Hidden ESSENCE Disorder

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Pritchett ◽  
Jennifer Pritchett ◽  
Emma Marshall ◽  
Claire Davidson ◽  
Helen Minnis
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
General Population ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Reactive Attachment Disorder ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Attachment Disorder ◽  
Problem Behaviours ◽  
Educational Implications ◽  
Reactive Attachment ◽  
Severe Disorder

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a severe disorder of social functioning. Previous research has shown that children with RAD may have poor cognitive and language abilities; however, findings mainly come from biased, institutionalised samples. This paper describes the characteristics of all children who were given a suspected or likely diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder in an epidemiological study of approximately 1,600 children investigating the prevalence of RAD in the general population. We found that children with RAD are more likely to have multiple comorbidities with other disorders, lower IQs than population norms, more disorganised attachment, more problem behaviours, and poorer social skills than would be found in the general population and therefore have a complex presentation than can be described as ESSENCE. We discuss the clinical and educational implications.

scholarly journals Can reactive attachment disorder persist in nurturing placements? A systematic review and clinical case series

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-131
Author(s):  
Rebecca Nelson ◽  
Guy Chadwick ◽  
Molly Bruce ◽  
Genevieve Young-Southward ◽  
Helen Minnis
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Reactive Attachment Disorder ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Attachment Disorder ◽  
Reactive Attachment

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), is characterized by failure to seek and accept comfort in maltreated children. This lack of activation of the attachment system has profound developmental disadvantages yet, in early childhood, usually resolves quickly after placement in nurturing care. Persistence of RAD into middle childhood has been demonstrated in children reared in Romanian Institutions but, in family-reared children older children, there is controversy regarding whether RAD-like behaviors are genuinely attachment-related and stable from early childhood or are, in fact, related to PTSD. We conducted two pieces of research to investigate this: 1. a systematic review to examine persistence/resolution of RAD and 2. a case series of three boys whose RAD symptoms persisted despite living in placements judged by both social and child health services to be of good quality. Our systematic review revealed a paucity of longitudinal data. Except in atypical institutionalized samples, RAD had not been evidenced beyond pre-school. All three boys in the case series met DSM 5 criteria for RAD in late childhood/early adolescence and had stable RAD symptoms since before age 5. Qualitative interviews with their families revealed common themes of family strain, frustration and resentment at the lack of support from services. This paper provides the first opportunity to generate testable hypotheses about environmental circumstances and coexisting symptomatology that may influence RAD trajectories. Persistence of RAD has profoundly negative implications for children and their families. Recognition of RAD symptoms is challenging but crucial in order to improve care of these children and their families.

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