Attachment and personality pathology.. Psychodynamic psychotherapy for personality disorders: A clinical handbook

In this chapter we will discuss the relevance of attachment theory and research to the understanding and treatment of personality pathology. We will focus on recent developments that have highlighted the vital role played by the parent's understanding of the infant's internal world in enabling the infant to acquire capacities for affect regulation, attentional control, and mentalization and in the infant's development of a sense of self-agency. We will argue that the development of these capacities may be compromised in children who have not benefited from the opportunity to be understood and thought about in this way by a sensitive caregiver. Such individuals are then at greater risk of developing personality pathology, particularly if early neglect is compounded by trauma. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)