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Anaclitic depression has two definitions related to attachment. The first type occurs in children when attachment to a caregiver is disrupted for an extended period of time during the first year of life. The second type occurs in adults who form highly dependent attachments to others, and can be seen in therapy or relationships. Both types highlight the importance of consistent caregiving and the negative consequences of hyperdependence.
Anaclitic depression has two very different definitions in the psychological literature. Both have to do with attachment, but a different population group is affected in each type. An anaclitic type of depression is a term that is no longer widely used and deals with what happens if attachment to a caregiver is disrupted for an extended period of time during the first year of life. The other may be more likely to occur in an adult therapeutic setting or in adult relationship settings, when a person forms highly dependent attachments to others.
In anaclitic depression of the first type, the term evolved after observations were made of children in orphanages or hospitals who lost a caregiver over a long period of time. Even as these children were well cared for and had their physical and medical needs met, most of them began to experience severe loss or inability to progress developmentally. This is because the children have not had the opportunity to bond with a single, consistent caregiver. Studies done on this topic tended to show that losses could be recouped if a single caregiver, such as a mother, was reunited with a child before six months had passed. Beyond that point, some children have shown retardation, social problems, or, in the worst cases, would have declined so significantly that they may have stunted growth.
These findings are now part of what is understood about attachment disorder. Newborns absolutely need a bond with a consistent caregiver. Caring for physical needs alone is not developmentally appropriate, and this knowledge has helped reshape the way many hospitals and orphanages are run today. Particularly in hospitals, parents are often encouraged to spend as much time as possible with a sick child, rather than taking very few hours to be with their children.
The other form of anaclitic depression is also related to the types of attachments people form, and the term can sometimes be used in psychodynamic therapy or interpersonal therapy. People suffering from this condition feel weak, helpless or out of control without the presence of certain people in their lives. This condition could evolve around a therapist and be an extreme version of the transference, or it could involve a couple or friendship relationship. The afflicted person may go to great lengths to try and maintain a relationship after it ends. When this occurs in therapy, the therapist should note it properly and efforts should be made to help the person recognize and hopefully recover from this addiction. Stopping therapy early can have very negative consequences.
Anaclitic depression of the second type is more of a loose label, intended to differentiate between different types of depression. The person could be diagnosed with depression according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals (DSM). Yet the DSM does not recognize this disorder as a specific condition. It can still be a useful diagnostic tool to best help those who are hyperdependent on others.
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