Joan's Attachment Theory

Introduction.

For confidentiality, I will use Joan throughout this assignment and her physical and social care needs will be my primary focus. Given the fact in this context, Joan is 76 years, widowed and living with her daughter Alice, who is her main carer. Therefore, Alice is the only support for Joan, and because of a recent stroke, she became her mother's full-time carer. In addition to the physical disability suffered because of the stroke, Joan suffers from mental health issues. Joan?s been battling with schizophrenia for half of her life, with her family being her primary support system. Moreover, Joan refuses medication, making it difficult for her family to look after her. With the inconsistent support of social services, Joan?s …show more content…
According to Howe(2011, pg,7), John Bowlby relied on the notion that the quality of the parent -child relationship was essential for development and mental health.Apparently, his thinking was in the context of distress shown by children when separated from their parents or when in unfamiliar surroundings. While having credit for the emergence of the attachment theory, Bowlby subsequently carried out a lot of research work with Mary Ainsworth concluding that children view their attachment figures as both a ?safe haven? to return to for comfort and protection and also a ?secure base? from which to explore their environment.Consequently, they asserted that the birth of a child gives rise to the need to feel loved and wanted by caregivers, (Maclean and Harrison,2015 pg, 103), the absence of which might result in a range of behaviors to either engage the caregiver or as a coping strategy for themselves. Although designed primarily for understanding the nature of child and caregiver relationship, Bowlby believed that attachment characterized human behavior across the lifespan. Subsequently, this created a lot of awareness around attachment issues in adults and its importance in social work. Furthermore, there was the assertion that quality of the attachments of the service users past, influences the nature of the relationship between them and the social worker (Howe,2011, p,9) Notwithstanding, there is an obvious need to …show more content…
Furthermore, it is a particularly useful theory in that it seeks to identify the fit between individuals and their environment, and then reduce or eliminate any barriers challenging the ability of individuals to have power and control over their lives. (Teater,2014, pg 34).Evidently, Systems theory is currently being used in adults service to extensively maximize support for people.This as stated by Maclean and Harrison,(2015, pg 197), focuses on immediate families(carers)and the involvement of health and social care professionals to fill gaps to sustain relationships that are under stress.

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