Reactive attachment disorder
The broad theoretical framework for current versions of RAD is attachment theory, based on work conducted from the 1940s to the 1980s by John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth and René Spitz. Attachment theory is a framework that employs psychological, ethological and evolutionary concepts to explain social behaviors typical of young children. Attachment theory focuses on the tendency of infants or children to "seek proximity" to a "particular attachment figure" (familiar caregiver), in situations of alarm or distress, behavior which appears to have survival value. This is known as a discriminatory or selective attachment. Subsequently, the child begins to use the caregiver as a base of security from which to explore the environment, returning periodically to the familiar person. Attachment is not the same as love and/or affection although they are often associated. Attachment and attachment behaviors tend to develop between the ages of six months and three years. Infants become attached to adults who are sensitive and responsive in social interactions with the infant, and who remain as consistent caregivers for some time. Caregiver responses lead to the development of patterns of attachment, that in turn lead to internal working models which will guide the individual's feelings, thoughts, and expectations in later relationships. For a diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder, the child's history and atypical social behavior must suggest the absence of formation of a discriminatory or selective attachment.
Psychotherapy and social action model
The psychotherapy and social action model was initially proposed by Sue Holland, a psychotherapist with a background in community action. Holland developed this framework in 1980 following her experience working with women coping with psychological disorders at a housing estate in West London. At this estate, Holland observed the psychological difficulties experienced by women, noticing that their mental health was fundamentally tied to the social and economic obstacles they encountered as females in their society. In addition, Holland took issue with the way Depression (mood) was being treated at the shelter, believing that individualized treatment, especially with the use of psychotropic medication, was not successfully addressing the root of the dysfunction for these women. Instead, Holland posited a pathway from individual treatment to sociopolitical action that empowered women to deal with their mental dysfunction both privately and socially. As such, the psychotherapy and social action model is rooted in the ideals of both traditional psychotherapy and feminist empowerment.