Attachment needs of adolescent daughters of women with cancer

Adolescent daughters of women who are ill have been identified in several s tudies as the most distressed of all children with an ill parent. Bowlby's attachment theory holds that dependency is a healthy adaptive response at t imes of significant stress. Although peer support is important during adole scence, research supports the notion that parents play a vital role in help ing adolescents at risk. Attachment may be particularly important for girls . Attachment theory, in a context of female psychological development, sugg ests dyadic or family focused intervention strategies as well as peer suppo rt for adolescent daughters of women with cancer.