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In spite of the success of child and adolescent (and, in expansion, adult) (cognitive) behavior therapy, one can wonder whether its focus on behavior and maladaptive cognitive schemas ignores maladaptive relational eperiences that underly developmental psychopathology. This special issue of TvG aims to illustrate how the attachment-related development of (lack of) trust in caregivers' availability to provide support is a fundamental theme to understand the development and treatment of behavioral and emotional problems. This paper introduces attachment theory and its relevance for existing (cognitive) behavior therapies for children, adolescents, and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meta-analyses show that insecure attachment makes children and adolescents more vulnerable to the development of psychopathology. There has been a lack of research investigating the mechanisms that explain the link between insecure attachment and internalizing as well as externalizing problems. However, a thorough understanding of these mechanisms is necessary to improve the knowledge about and treatment of these problems. Therefore, the current paper offers a review of the recent growth in attachment-related developmental psychopathology research. Studies demonstrate that more insecurely attached individuals are more vulnerable to the development of psychopathology through different maladaptive behavioral, emotional and cognitive regulation mechanisms (support-seeking behavior, emotion regulation strategies, effortful control, and cognitive attachment-related processes). The finding that the quality of the attachment relationship is linked to a variety of well-defined regulation mechanisms not only explains why insecure attachment is a transdiagnostic risk factor, but also offers starting points to further deepen and strengthen the current practice of behavioral therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]