Beyond Broken Bonds and Broken Hearts: The Bonding of Theories of Attachment and Grief

Attachment theory describes the establishment and long-term impact of infants' early relationships. Theories of grief and mourning have acknowledged that the disruption of attachment bonds is loss and grief, but the attachment literature shows little development toward a conceptual linkage with these theories. The connection is important given the current discussion of whether bonds with the deceased are broken or continued. The purpose of this article is to link the strengths of each perspective to inform us about the process of grief as mourners work through the reconstruction of their relationships. It presents a developmental model integrating attachment theory and cognitive developmental approaches in order to further our understanding of the processes involved in loss and grief.