Attachment has been defined as 'the affectional bond or tie that an infant forms between him/herself and his/her mother figure'. Bowlby highlighted the ethological-evolutionary perspective of attachment behaviours and described them as instinctive, having emerged throughout the course of evolution to ensure protection and actual survival. Insecure or disorganized attachment relationships early in life are a risk factor in developmental psychopathology. Because the environment affects how attachment behaviour unfolds, adverse experiences can divert developmental pathways away from resilience, toward dysfunction and emotional distress. On the other hand, a secure attachment can be a protective factor which can buffer the potential negative effects of behavioural disorganisation.
In recent years several empirical studies have investigated the interaction between attachment and child psychiatric disorders like autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. To this end longitudinal studies were performed where high-risk children were tested in the Ainsworth Strange Situation Procedure prior to diagnosis. Symptom severity, parental sensitivity, level of cognitive functioning and temperament were found to be important moderators of variability in attachment behaviours.