How Common Is Disorganized Attachment?

Video · 2 minutes · Attachment · C-PTSD

Summary

This is a short prevalence talk, not a full explainer of the style. Michael cites research compiled via the National Institutes of Health: about 15% of the general American population, and about 85% of maltreated children, meeting criteria for a disorganized attachment style. He flags that those figures are decades old, and that the pattern appears more common now. Disorganized attachment grows out of a frightening or traumatic caregiving relationship — not a personality quirk.

What this video covers

  • The 15% / 85% figures from older NIH-compiled research
  • Why those numbers should be treated as dated, not a current census
  • A clinical impression that incidence is rising
  • The origin: traumatic caregiving, not “being difficult”

Key takeaways

  • Disorganized attachment is not rare in the general population, and it is very common after childhood maltreatment.
  • Older studies are a starting point, not the last word.
  • If the rate is climbing, the causes are social and developmental — not a fad diagnosis.
  • This clip is a door into the longer talks on how the style shows up in adult relationships and how it can change.

Who this is for

  • Adults who recognize push-pull in themselves or a partner and want scale, not jargon
  • Viewers coming from the “how it affects adult relationships” video

Who this is not for

  • Anyone wanting a self-diagnosis from a percentage
  • Anyone in immediate danger — call 911 or 988

Next step

Transcript

How common is disorganized attachment?

Well, research on disorganized attachment compiled by the National Institute of Health shows that approximately 15% of the general American population qualifies as having a disorganized attachment style, and a whopping 85% of maltreated children also do.

But this is research that’s a few decades old at this point. Here’s what’s happened over the last few decades: the incidence does seem to be increasing in our society. There’s lots of speculation about why that is.

I would be interested to know what you think. If you’ve got thoughts on why disorganized attachment might be increasing, please share them in the comments below. I’m very interested to hear your take on this.

Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about disorganized attachment and about trauma in general — because a disorganized attachment style arises out of a traumatic caregiving experience — there are a few things you can do. One, please watch my other videos. Two, visit my blog. There’s a wealth of information about trauma and recovery there, at michaelgquirke.com.

Also, if you would please like, subscribe, comment, and share, I’d appreciate it.

Disclaimer

Educational content only. Not therapy, not a diagnosis, not a crisis service. Prevalence figures in this video refer to older published research and are not a current population survey. Psychotherapy is available to California residents in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and online. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or 988.