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Caregiver-Child Relationships in Early Childhood: Interventions to Promote Well-Being and Reduce Risk for Psychopathology

  • Child and Developmental Psychiatry (K Fitzgerald, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Early caregiver-child relationships are foundational to early development and central to efforts to promote well-being and prevent psychopathology. We discuss the role of caregiver-child relationships in early development and risk for psychopathology, and psychotherapeutic interventions targeting early caregiver-child relationships.

Recent Findings

Early risk for psychopathology is conferred through the dynamic interaction of biological and environmental factors, with sensitive caregiving playing a critical role. Recent research suggests that quality of caregiving moderates the effect of a child’s genetic risk for psychopathology. The protective role of sensitive caregiving is especially vital in the context of stress and trauma. Caregiver-child psychotherapeutic interventions are effective in increasing the rates of secure attachment and sensitive caregiving, and reducing early psychopathology. Emerging evidence suggests some interventions may be associated with changes to parents’ neural circuitry that underlies sensitive caregiving.

Summary

Relationship-based psychotherapeutic interventions are promising in the promotion of well-being and prevention of psychopathology in at-risk families.

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Acknowledgements

T32 postdoctoral fellowship funding (HD079350; PI: J. Lumeng) supported the primary author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Michigan, Center for Human Growth & Development, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    M.M. Julian & K.L. Rosenblum

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, USA

    J.M. Lawler & K.L. Rosenblum

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  1. M.M. Julian
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  2. J.M. Lawler
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  3. K.L. Rosenblum
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Correspondence to K.L. Rosenblum.

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Megan Julian reports grant # HD079350 (T32 postdoctoral fellowship) from Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) during the writing of this review. Dr. Jamie Lawler and Dr. Katherine Rosenblum declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Child and Developmental Psychiatry

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Julian, M., Lawler, J. & Rosenblum, K. Caregiver-Child Relationships in Early Childhood: Interventions to Promote Well-Being and Reduce Risk for Psychopathology. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 4, 87–98 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40473-017-0110-0

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