In this section
Research
From its very beginning a core mission of the Anna Freud Centre has been to constantly improve the help given to children and families in emotional distress. In order to achieve this goal we have a long tradition of systematic research in the field of children's social and emotional development. In particular, we have sought to understand better the potential causes of psychological and emotional problems and how these might be best addressed with different models of therapy. Our early psychoanalytical research based on painstaking and careful observation is now complemented by a range of cutting-edge methodologies, spanning brain imaging to genetics. For example, the Developmental Neuroscience Unit within the Centre explores how biological, psychological and social factors affect development, particularly in infancy and adolescence. We also collaborate with researchers at UCL, using functional magnetic resonance imaging to better understand how early family adversity 
may affect emotional development. These 'basic science' projects are part of a wider research strategy that aims to improve how we treat and help children and families with different forms of therapy or intervention. Over the years the Centre has been at the centre of many ground breaking studies aimed at improving how we help children with different emotional needs, including adopted children or those in foster placements. A key organising principle for much of our research has centered on importance of early attachment.
The Science of Early Relationships
Many child development researchers and clinicians believe that the establishment of secure attachment bonds between children and parents are vital for optimal social and emotional development.
Research based at the Centre has played an important role in establishing the scientific basis for these claims. For example, our work have demonstrated the long-term significance of attachment in childhood aggression and has shown that attachment patterns are passed from one generation to the next. We have also conducted
studies that have been vital in showing that attachment patterns in early life are not heritable, but are linked to the sensitivity of parental care. Our work has also highlighted the importance of a parent’s capacity to think about the child’s mind—his thoughts, feelings, and desires—in the development of secure attachments. We continue to conduct scientific studies into the key influences on social and emotional development, so that we can develop and deliver the best programmes and policies for promoting children’s wellbeing.
From Research to Practice: Promoting and Providing Effective Interventions
The Centre is committed to translating scientific findings into effective interventions for children and families and is engaged in a range of studies investigating new and innovative ways of supporting families in need. We are studying the effectiveness of parent-infant psychotherapy in the first year of life for families struggling with significant mental health problems, and we have broadened this work to see how interventions like this can be used to help parents in a range of extremely challenging circumstances, including mothers in prison, mothers in inpatient psychiatric mother-baby units and parents in hostels. We are also part of a larger study investigating different forms of intervention for adolescents with depression.
Our work is highly collaborative and we work with many colleagues in the UK and abroad. Notable collaborations include University College London, Yale University’s Child Study Centre, the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, and the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at Kings College, London.
Research Areas
Social and Affective Neuroscience
The Developmental Neuroscience Unit
