Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder

Attachment theory is a model of psychological development formulated primarily by John Bowlby and expanded by Marie Ainsworth that recognizes and analyzes the relationship between an infant and their primary caregiver. Central to attachment theory is the idea that the bonds that are or are not formed in early childhood are responsible for the subsequent emotional reactions of the adult. Bowlby also identified multigenerational patterns of attachment. Ainsworth built on Bowlby’s approach, identifying various modes of non-attachment by studying individual emotional attachment styles in one- to two-year-olds. Her work is considered seminal in the case for attachment theory, which gained prominence in the field of psychoanalysis in the 1950s and 1970s.

Another contributor to the theory of infant development is developmental psychologist Erik Erikson. Erikson formulated eight psychological stages of infant development, each of which contains a conflict, a corresponding event, and a desired emotional outcome. This model is vital to Maté’s work, which likewise conceives of infant development as passing through stages that may or may not resolve successfully.

In Scattered Minds, the psychosocial model of attachment theory becomes biopsychosocial as Maté uses attachment theory as a lens through which to understand the physiological signs of ADD. Maté examines the emotional triggers responsible for neurochemical production in the brain, especially during infancy—the period most responsible for the formation of the cortex. He proposes that psychological impairments stemming from this period of development correlate directly with emotional experiences. This biopsychosocial approach to development reframes ADD as a social phenomenon and offers a trans-disciplinary theory of harm reduction that naturally implies systemic and socioeconomic solutions.

Maté postulates an understanding of ADD that attempts to harmonize the fields of psychology and genetics, which are largely treated as discrete categories. This has sparked allegations that Maté’s work represents a dangerous heterodoxy. These allegations are nothing new for attachment theory. Early in his career, Bowlby’s work caused him to be ostracized from the psychoanalytic community for views that, in just a few decades, would become the dominant approach to care.

Maté’s work has also been criticized for misconstruing evidence, particularly in relation to his theories that addiction, illness, and decreased immunity are the result of insecure attachment. This theory is widely disputed; Dr. Stanton Peele explains, “It is not enough to say that this model is highly conjectural. It also isn’t true, that is, it makes little sense of the data” (Peele, Stanton. “The Seductive, but Dangerous Allure of Gabor Maté.” Psychology Today, 5 Dec. 2011). Peele is also highly critical of Maté’s embrace of ayahuasca, a south American psychedelic liquid that Maté references in his 2022 work The Myth of Normal.

Nevertheless, Maté remains a highly respected and influential figure in the world of attachment theory. Maté believes that his work is considered unorthodox only because the medical community has failed to include a robust experience-based emotional framework into its analysis.