The impact of the “Attachment and Biobehavioural Catch‐Up” program on attachment related parent behavior—A systematic review

“Attachment and Biobehavioural Catch‐Up” (ABC) is a 10 session home visiting program, grounded in attachment theory. It aims to improve child emotion regulation, attachment and behavioral outcomes through changing caregivers’ attachment related behaviors. There is increasing evidence with respect to the effectiveness of ABC in producing positive child outcomes, but the intervention's direct effect on parent outcomes remains unclear. This review examined the association of ABC with attachment related parent outcomes. The PubMed, EMBASE, PyschINFO and SCOPUS databases were searched for relevant studies in August 2021, and again in April 2022. The eligibility criteria for included studies were (1) infants aged 0–27 months at time of the ABC intervention, (2) “at risk” parents, (3) controlled trials published in peer‐reviewed journals and (4) utilized a measure of attachment related parent outcomes. Eleven eligible studies were included. The findings showed ABC had a significant small to medium effect on a variety of attachment related parent outcomes among parents presenting with multiple psychosocial risk factors. “Sensitivity” was measured most frequently, with small to medium main effect sizes recorded at follow‐up, compared to controls. Implications for the clinical effectiveness of the ABC program in community settings are discussed. Future research should clarify who ABC is most effective for and how it compares to similar interventions. Resumen “El Alcance de Afectividad y Biocounducta” (ABC) es un programa de visita a casa en 10 sesiones, fundamentado en la teoría de la afectividad. Su meta es mejorar en el niño los resultados de la regulación de la emoción, de afectividad y de comportamiento por medio de cambiar el comportamiento relacionado con la afectividad de quien presta el cuidado. La evidencia con respecto a la eficacia de ABC para producir resultados positivos en el niño va en aumento, pero el efecto directo de la intervención sobre el resultado en el progenitor aún no está claro. Esta revisión examinó la asociación entre ABC y los resultados en el progenitor relacionados con la afectividad. Se investigaron los bancos de datos PubMed, EMBASE, PyschINFO y SCOPUS en agosto de 2021 en busca de estudios relevantes, lo cual se hizo otra vez en abril de 2022. Los criterios para elegir los estudios que se incluirían fueron (1) infantes de edad entre 0 y 27 meses al momento de la intervención ABC, (2) progenitores “bajo riesgo,” (3) ensayos controlad