A child's close bond with mother father or guardian usually provides a foundation for trust
in all future attachments. Children deprived of early and healthy dependency-who do not form
normal attachment with their caregivers-may later suffer from Reactive Attachment Disorder
(RAD). This childhood disorder is characterized by a general failure in social relationships
resulting from pathogenic care. Although first included in the third edition of the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual (DSM-III) in 1980 RAD is one of the more uncommon and understudied
forms of psychopathology. Reactive Attachment Disorder: A Case-Based Approach adds to a now
growing research base providing scholars and clinicians with a well-rounded analysis of RAD
and suggested treatments. The case-based approach used in this Brief follows the representative
case of Jorge presented as unfolding over time and structured to illustrate challenges of
diagnosis to show examples of co-morbidity and to provoke reflection on what questions may
arise during treatment. Readers are asked to appraise the overlap with other clinical syndromes
the forms of psychotherapy which may apply and the potential role of psychiatric medications
as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
