Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology Flashcards

Flashcards of key vocabulary for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology

Clinical Child Psychology

A subfield of psychology focused on the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with learning, behavioral, or emotional problems.

Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology

Division 53 of the APA, with thousands of members and graduate programs that specifically train psychologists to work with children and adolescents.

Externalizing Disorders

Disorders in which the child 'acts out,' often causing disruption to parents, teachers, or other children; includes ADHD, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder.

Internalizing Disorders

Disorders that involve maladaptive thoughts and feelings more than disruptive outward behavior; includes depression and anxiety disorders.

Resilience

The tendency to remain psychologically healthy despite the presence of risk factors that contribute to psychological problems in others.

Vulnerability

The tendency to experience psychological problems in the presence of risk factors.

Environmental Factors of Vulnerability

External influences, such as poverty, parental conflict, single parenthood, many children in the home, neighborhood factors, and poor schooling, that increase susceptibility to psychological problems.

Parental Factors of Vulnerability

Parent characteristics like poor physical or mental health, low IQ, and hypercritical tendencies that increase a child's risk for psychological problems.

Child (Internal) Factors of Vulnerability

Individual characteristics of the child, such as medical problems, difficult temperament, low IQ, poor academic achievement, and social skills deficits, that increase the risk of psychological problems.

External Supports (I Have)

Aspects of resilience including trusting family members, trustworthy people outside the family, limits to behavior, encouragement to be independent, good role models, access to services, and a stable family and community.

Inner Strengths (I Am)

Aspects of resilience including being likable, generally good, an achiever, respectful, caring, responsible, confident, optimistic, and hopeful.

Interpersonal and Problem-Solving Skills (I Can)

Aspects of resilience including generating ideas, working hard until finished, seeing humor, expressing feelings, solving problems, managing behavior, and asking for help.

Fixed Implicit Theory

The belief that personality traits are unchangeable; also called an 'entity' theory.

Malleable Implicit Theory

The belief that one can overcome personality traits; also called an 'incremental' theory.

Developmental Perspective

An essential aspect of clinical child psychology where clinicians understand a child's behavior within the context of their developmental stage.

Multisource Assessment

Gathering information from multiple parties, such as parents, relatives, teachers, and the child, to gain a comprehensive understanding.

Multimethod Assessment

Using different methods of data collection—interviews, paper instruments, direct observation—to get a comprehensive understanding.

Multi-setting Assessment

An approach where data is collected from home, school, clinician's office, and other relevant settings to understand problems in different contexts.

Behavioral Observation

The direct systematic observation of a client’s behavior in the natural environment; also known as naturalistic observation.

Behavior Rating Scales

Standardized forms completed by parents, teachers, or other adults regarding a child’s presenting problems.

Self-Report Scales

Assessment scales completed directly by the client. More commonly used with adolescents than younger children.

Children’s Apperception Test (CAT)

An adaptation of the TAT test for children using animal, rather than human, characters.

Play Therapy

A unique therapeutic approach used with younger clients (preschool or elementary-school age) where children communicate via actions with objects rather than words.

Social Skills Training

A cognitive-behavioral approach in which therapists teach kids behaviors that improve their interactions with others.

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

A behavioral approach that relies heavily on operant conditioning principles (i.e., reinforcement, punishment, shaping, and extinction).

Clinical Child Psychologist

A psychologist who specializes in working with children and adolescents, addressing their psychological, developmental, and behavioral issues.

Assessment

A process undertaken by clinical child psychologists to evaluate and understand a child's behavioral, emotional, or intellectual functioning.

Therapy

A type of intervention used by clinical child psychologists to help children and/or their families address psychological or behavioral issues.

Academia

A career path for clinical child psychologists that involves teaching, research, and scholarly activities at colleges or universities.

ADHD

A common childhood disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Conduct Disorder

A childhood disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of violating rules and the rights of others.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

A childhood disorder characterized by a pattern of negativistic, defiant, and hostile behavior toward authority figures.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

A childhood disorder characterized by excessive anxiety concerning separation from home or attachment figures.

Major Depressive Disorder

A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness or irritability, loss of interest or pleasure, and other symptoms.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event—either experiencing it or witnessing it.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and an intense fear of gaining weight.

Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors, such as vomiting or using laxatives.

Adjustment Disorders

Emotional or behavioral reactions to stressful events or changes in a person's life.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

A disorder characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about various aspects of life.

Irritable Mood

A common symptom of depression in children and adolescents, which can replace depressed mood as a diagnostic criterion.

Weight Gain Failure

A symptom of depression in children and adolescents, can replace weight loss as a diagnostic criterion.

Diminished Interest in Playing

A specific PTSD criterion for children 6 years old and younger, marked by reduced engagement in play activities.

Trauma Reenactment

A specific PTSD criterion for children 6 years old and younger, involving play that repeats aspects of the traumatic event.

Risk Factors

Conditions or factors that contribute to the development of psychological problems.

Protective Factors

Conditions or attributes that help children cope with adversity and increase resilience.

ACEs

Adverse Childhood Experiences; traumatic events occurring before the age of 18 that can have long-lasting effects on health and well-being.

Meta-analysis

A statistical procedure for combining data from multiple studies to provide a more comprehensive analysis of a particular research question.

Parenting Style

The manner in which parents raise their children, including warmth, control, and communication strategies.

Sibling Relationship

The ongoing interaction and connection between siblings, which can influence their mental health and behavior.

Grotberg's Resilience Categories

A framework developed by Grotberg to categorize factors that differentiate children who thrive in risky environments from those who struggle, including external supports, inner strengths, and interpersonal problem-solving skills.

Entity Theory

The belief that abilities and traits are fixed and unchangeable.

Incremental Theory

The belief that abilities and traits can be developed through effort and learning.

Cultural Competence

The ability of clinical child psychologists to understand and consider the cultural background of the children and families they work with.

Presenting Problem

The primary issue or concern that leads a child or their family to seek help from a clinical child psychologist.

Developmental Milestones

Specific achievements in physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development that children typically reach at certain ages.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing a child's behavior in their natural environment to gain insight into their everyday interactions and challenges.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

A comprehensive personality assessment used with adults and adolescents to identify personality traits and psychopathology.

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI)

A personality assessment used with adults and adolescents to identify personality disorders and clinical syndromes.

Rorschach Inkblot Method

A projective test involving the interpretation of inkblots to assess personality characteristics and emotional functioning.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test involving the creation of stories based on ambiguous pictures to assess personality themes and emotional concerns.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)

An intelligence test used to assess the cognitive abilities of children.

Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales

An assessment tool used to evaluate an individual's adaptive functioning, including communication, daily living skills, socialization, and motor skills.

Conners' Rating Scales

Behavior rating scales used to assess symptoms of ADHD and related behavioral problems.

Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)

A self-report questionnaire used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms.

Youth Self-Report (YSR)

A self-report questionnaire used to assess emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents.

Bravery Bingo

A CBT technique used to treat phobias in children; involves earning tokens for each successful exposure on the anxiety hierarchy.

Cognitive Restructuring

A therapeutic technique used to help individuals identify and change negative or distorted thought patterns.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process in which behavior is modified through reinforcement and punishment.

Contingency Management

A therapeutic approach that uses reinforcement and punishment to change behavior.

Expressive Techniques

Assessment methods meant for children that may include drawing or projective tests.

Direct Observation Form

A method to record observations about a child in a structured manner.

Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System

Observation tool that focuses on the interactions between caregiver and child.

Clinical Interview

Conversation between a clinical and patient meant to gather information to help with diagnosis and creating an appropriate course of treatment.

Attachment Figures

Individuals who provide comfort and security, often parents or other caregivers.

Externalizing Behaviors

Behaviors that are directed outwards, such as aggression or defiance.

Internalizing Behaviors

Behaviors that are directed inwards, such as anxiety or depression.

Operant Conditioning

Type of learning where behaviors become controlled by consequences.

Prognosis

The likely course of a medical condition