The Impact of Secure Attachment on Interpersonal Relationship: A Review

Attachment has been defined as the psychological bond between a growing child and a caregiver. It is a relationship that develops over a period of time between a child and the caregiver, or any other significant person in the life of a child. It is characterized by intimacy, warmth, and continuity thus eventually becoming the hallmark of all other relationships in the life of a human being. Research has shown that when children experienced secure attachment during their early stages of development in life, they are likely to develop capabilities in exploring the world of interpersonal relationships. Some of the factors that contribute to the diminishing of attachment between children and their caregivers include modernism and post-modernism, family crisis, disability in the life of the mother, death of the caregiver and the scourge of debilitating sicknesses and diseases which incapacitate caregivers. And so it is not uncommon to find individuals who experienced insecure attachment in their childhood having difficulties in their interpersonal relationship as adults. Some of the manifestations of interpersonal relationship difficulty and insecure attachment include low self-esteem, anxiety, inability to trust others, unwillingness to receive help from others, dependence syndrome, aggression, and feeling unloved, among others. However, with timely and appropriate psychological interventions, some of these challenges can be overcome although more research is encouraged in the area of attachment especially in Asia and Africa.