John Bowlby Biography

Edward John Mostyn Bowlby, CBE, FRCP, FRCPsych, was a developmental psychologist, psychoanalyst, and psychiatrist who garnered fame for his groundbreaking work in attachment theory. According to a 2002 survey conducted by the ‘Review of General Psychology,’ he is the 49th most-cited psychologist of the 20th century. A London native, Bowlby hailed from an upper-middle-income family. In accordance with the norm of his class in Britain at the time, his parents maintained a considerable distance from him and his siblings, and they were raised by a nanny. Despite this, he initially wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a surgeon. However, he later decided to pursue a career in psychology. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and the University College Hospital before enrolling at the Maudsley Hospital for training in adult psychiatry. In 1936, he completed his qualification as a psychoanalyst. In the following year, he joined the London Child Guidance Clinic and worked there until 1940. In 1946, he became a member of the staff of the Tavistock Institute in London. One of the most important moments of his career was the publication of his 1951 report, at the behest of the World Health Organisation, on the mental health of homeless children in post-war Europe.