psychopathology: psychological disorders of children

neurodevelopment disorders

group of disabilities, including ADHD, autism, and intellectual

\-functioning of the brain that emerge at birth or during very early childhood and affect a persons behavior, memory, concentration, and ability to learn

intellectual disability

1. individual displays deficient intellectual functioning in areas such as reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgment, academic learning, and learning from experience
2. individuals displays deficient adaptive functioning in at least one area of daily life, such as communication, social involvement, or personal independence, across home, school, work, or community
3. deficits begins during the developmental period

enuresis

repeated involuntary bed-wetting or wetting of ones clothes (typically at night, must be 5 years or older)

\-problem may be triggered by stressful events such as hospitalization, entering school, family problems

**Treatment:** most cases correct themselves without treatment but cognitive-behavioral therapy can speed it up

\-classical conditioning

encopresis

childhood disorder characterized by repeating defecting in inappropriate places, such as clothing (4+ affects 1.5-4% of children)

**Treatment:** cognitive behavioral and medical approaches or a combination of the two; interventions to eliminate constipations; biofeedback training; stimulation of regular bowel functioning; family therapy

conduct disorder

1. individual repeatedly behaves in ways that violate the rights of other people or ingnores the norms or rules of society, beyond violations displayed by others their age
2. at least three of the following features present over the past year-- frequent bullying or threatening of others; frequent provoking of physical fights; using dangerous weapons, physical cruelty to others or animals; stealing during confrontations with a victim; forcing someone into sexual activity; fire-setting; deliberately destroying others property; breaking into a house, building or car; lying; stealing items staying out past curfew; running away; frequent truancy
3. significant impairment

ADHD

1. disorder marked by inability to focus attention, or overactive an impulsive behavior or both
2. displayed some symptoms before 12 years of age
3. individuals shows symptoms in more than one setting
4. individual experiences impaired functioning

\-7% of children, 70% boys

**Treatment:** drug therapy (methylphenidate) and cognitive behavioral, or a combination of both

autism spectrum disorder

1. individual displays continual deficiencies in various areas of communication and social interaction, including the following
2. individual displays significant restriction and repetition in behaviors, interests, or activities, including two +
3. individual develops symptoms by early childhood
4. individual experience impaired functioning

Treatment: cognitive-behavioral therapy, augmentative communication training, parent training

black box warning

antidepressants used by children and adolescents actually increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior, especially in the first few months of treatment

risk factors for intellectual disability

communication disorders: language, speech sound, and stuttering

developmental coordination disorder: perform coordinated motor activities at a level well below that of others their age

prevalence of psychological disorders in children

1/5 of all children

4 patterns of conduct disorder

overt-destructive pattern

overt-nondestructive pattern

covert-destructive pattern

covert-nondestructive pattern

child abuse

the non accidental use of excessive physical or psychological force by an adult on a child, often with the intention of hurting or destroying the child

anxiety disorders

often dominated by behavioral and somatic symptoms rather than cognitive-- such as clinging, difficulty sleeping, avoidance, irritability, and stomach pains

selective mutism

1. disorder marked by failure to speak in certain social situations when speech is expected, despite ability to speak in other situation
2. academic or social interference
3. individuals symptoms last 1 month or more and are not limited to the first 4 weeks of a new school year
4. symptoms not due to autism spectrum disorder, thought disorder, or language or communicated disorder

treatment for childhood anxiety disorders

1. behavioral therapy is the most clinically effective but also use psychodynamic, family and group therapies as well
2. clinicians have also used drug therapy that has proven successful
3. many therapists, mainly psychodynamic, use “play therapy”

psychological abuse

severe rejection, excessive discipline, scapegoating and ridicule, isolation, and refusal to provide help for a child with psychological problems

(accompanies all forms of physical abuse and neglect and often occurs by itself)

sexual abuse

the use of a child for gratification of adult sexual desires

major depressive disorder

often triggered by negative life events, major changes, rejection, or ongoing abuse

**Treatments:** cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, antidepressants

disruptive modd dysregulation disorder

1. for at least a year, individual repeatedly displays sever outbursts of temper that are extremely out of proportion to triggering situations and different from ones displayed by most other individuals of their age
2. outbursts occur at least three times per week and are present in at least two settings
3. individual repeatedly displays irritable or angry mood between the outbursts
4. individual receives initial diagnosis between 6 and 18 years of age

oppositional defiant disorder

disorder in which children are repeatedly argumentative, defiant, angry, irritable, and perhaps vindictive

overt destructive pattern

which individuals display openly aggressive and confrontational behaviors

overt nondestructive pattern

dominated by openly offensive but non confrontational behaviors such as lying

covert destructive pattern

characterized by secretive destructive behaviors such ass violating property, breaking and entering, and setting fires

covert nondestructive pattern

secretly commit nonaggressive behaviors such ass being truant from school

treatment for conduct disorders

parent-management training; multi systematic therapy; cognitive behavioral interventions, problem-solving skills training; drug therapy has been used for some children (stimulants)

theory of mind

affects children with autism by having it not fully developed: awareness that other people base behaviors on their own beliefs, intentions, and other mental states, not on information that they have no way of knowing