Conduct Disorder/Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Attachment: A Meta-Analysis

Purpose: To summarize the literature on and clarify the magnitude of the association between conduct disorder/oppositional defiant disorder (CD/ODD) and attachment and to search for moderators of this relationship. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted in order to elucidate the potential relationship between attachment style and CD/ODD symptoms and to establish the size of the effect. An extensive literature search was conducted through multiple databases for published and unpublished works. Results: The main finding from this study indicated that there is a moderate relationship between CD/ODD symptoms and attachment insecurity. The standardized mean difference in attachment insecurity between individuals with and without CD/ODD was large. There was a strong relationship between CD/ODD symptoms and disorganized attachment symptoms. The weighted odds ratio for the presence of disorganized attachment in individuals with and without CD/ODD was large. No significant moderators were identified. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that individuals with CD/ODD are much more likely to have an insecure or disorganized attachment than individuals without CD/ODD, but that it is not assured. © 2016, Springer International Publishing AG.