ABSTRACT
Fears concerning “parental blaming” have inhibited a productive and scientific exploration of the developmental and interpersonal roots of psychosis, including a compassionate understanding of the importance of early parental and peer attachments in the evolution of resilience and vulnerability. Attachment theory has the potential to provide a useful theoretical framework for conceptualising the influence of social cognition, interpersonal and affective factors on the development and course of psychosis, thus integrating and enhancing current psychological models. The “internal working models” of relationships revealed by attachment theory are quite similar to the core schema of the cognitive theorists. Insecure/disorganized attachment resulting from childhood adversity can increase probability of further abuse and neglect, e.g., in adolescence. One of the many advantages of attachment theory, however, is that it maintains the focus on the ongoing circumstances of childhood as well as the more obvious, discrete abusive events.
