child psychopathology chpt 1

Research studies in abnormal child psychology seek to:

−Define what constitutes psychopathology for children of different ages, sexes, and racial/ethnic and cultural backgrounds

−Identify the causes and correlates of child psychopathology

−Make predictions about long-term outcomes

−Develop and evaluate methods for treatment and/or prevention

Features that distinguish child/adolescent from adult disorders

When adults seek services for children, it is not often clear whose “concern” it is

Many child and adolescent behaviors of concern

• involve failure to show expected developmental progress

• are not entirely atypical

True or false: Interventions are often intended to promote further development rather than just restore to the prior level of function

true

anient greek and roman societies

−Any person with a physical or mental disorder, or deformity was an economic burden and a social embarrassment.

−They were to be scorned, abandoned, or put to death.

Before the eighteenth century

-children were subjected to harsh treatment and largerly ignored

into the mid-1800s

-Specific laws allowed children with severe developmental disorders to be kept in cages and cellars

the emergence of soical consience: john locke

Children should be raised with thought and care instead of indifference and harsh treatment

the emergence of soical consience: Jean Marc (19th century)

-focused on the care, treatment, and training of children with severe developmental delays (the called “mental defectives)

dorothea dix

 Opened 32 humane mental hospitals for troubled youth who had been relegated to cellars and cages

leta hollingworth

Distinguished between persons with intellectual disorder (“imbeciles”) and those with mental health concerns (“lunatics”)

benjamin rush

—Claimed that children were incapable of true adult-like insanity

−Children with typical cognitive abilities but disturbing behavior are experiencing moral insanity (disturbance in personality or character)

Late nineteenth century: mental disorders were viewed as biological problems

−Moral insanity was replaced by the organic disease model

−Challenged by the prevailing bias that the individual was at fault

clifford beers

−A layperson who had recovered from psychosis, advocated for improving care and improving information. Efforts led to detection and intervention, though there was still stigma.

Segregation and Eugenics

This early educational and humane model soon reverted to a custodial model, whereby people with disorders were

Early psychological attributions (early 20th century)

•The recognition of psychological influences emerged early in the twentieth century.

•Such recognition allowed researchers to organize and categorize ways of differentiating among various psychological issues.

Two major theoretical paradigms helped shape these emerging psychological and environmental influences.

−Psychoanalytic theory

−Behaviorism

Psychoanalytic theory: sigmund freud

--Individuals have inborn drives and predispositions that strongly affect their development

−Experiences play a necessary role in psychopathology.

−Children and adults could be helped if provided with the proper environment, therapy, or both.

Psychoanalytic theory: anna freud

- children’s symptoms were related more to developmental stages than were those of adults.

-Psychoanalytic theory’s approach to child psychopathology has had less influence on recent clinical practice and teaching.

behaviorism

The rise of behaviorism in the early 1900s laid the foundation for evidence-based treatments

behaviorism key studies

−Pavlov’s research on classical conditioning

−Watson’s studies on the elimination of children’s fears and the theory of emotions

§Famous study: Little Albert

−Skinner studied use of reinforcement and punishment to modify behavior (operant conditioning)

Ecological and Cognitive theroies (mid to late 20th century): Piaget and Vygotsky

studies on how children’s brains developed in relationship to their environment

Piaget

stages of cognitive development

Vygotsky

the sociocultural environment and adult instruction

Urie bronfenbrenner

The ecological systems theory

• Focus is shifted from individual responsibility to focusing on understanding the developmental and systemic considerations

Evolving forms of treatment 1930 to 1950:

• most children with intellectual or mental disorders were institionalized

evolving forms of treatment late 1940s:

Spitz’s students pointed out the harmful impact of institutional life

evolving forms of treatment 1945 to 1965

Institutionalization decreased

evolving forms of treatment by the 1960s

behavior therapy emerged as a systematic approach to treatment of child and family disorders

evolving forms of treatment by the 1960s-1970s

incorporation of cognitive, developmental, and ecological systems

Progressive legislation- IDEA

•Attitudes have advanced in the humane and egalitarian treatment of children.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires

−Free and appropriate public education for children with special needs in the least restrictive environment

−Each child must be assessed with culturally appropriate tests

−An individualized education program (IEP) for each child

•United Nations General Assembly (2007) adopted a new convention to protect the rights of persons with disabilities

−The convention supports the attitude of considering persons with disabilities as individuals with human rights

•Patterns of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or physical symptoms linked with one or more of the following:

−Distress

−Disability

−Increased risk for further suffering or harm

•Culture and circumstances matter

•The characteristics describes behaviors, not causes