Disinhibited attachment behavior among infants reared at home: Relations to maternal severe mental illness and personality disorder symptoms.

Disinhibited attachment behavior (DAB) among infants is persistent and associated with behavioral and relational problems throughout childhood and adolescence. Little is known about risk factors for DAB among infants reared at home, although studies have linked DAB with maternal psychiatric hospitalization and maternal borderline personality disorder. The aim of the current study was to further assess the association between DAB, maternal severe mental illness (SMI; schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression), and maternal PD symptoms. Ninety-three mothers and their infants participated in the study: 46.2% with SMI and 53.8% with no-diagnosis. During pregnancy, mothers were assessed on the Structured Clinical Interview for