Psychopathology FINAL

Why did most children die before their 5th birthday

Preventable illnesses, injuries, starvation, people most likely died were people with atypucalities

John Locke

First to think people should have rights

Thought to raise children as sensitive emotional beings

Jean Itrard

Found a child in the woods

Failed to teach him English

Letta Hollingsworth

Notices kids has behavioural and learning problems

These problems were from adults

Thought institutionalization was the solution

Benjamin Rush

Started to differentiate between cognitive and emotional control

Used terms like idiots and lunatics, differentiating people with psychological problems and log cognitive problems

Dorothia Dicks

Leader in the idea of creating humane institutional settings for people with psychiatric illnesses

Small settings with few people, support staff — model fell appart

By 1960s people realized and started de-institutionalize movement

Why is science ignored

Experts disagree

Media wants a soundbite

Conflicts in findings

Recommendations are constantly shifting

Always one outlier

Solutions often complex

Many people dont understand the research provess

Why is informed concent challenging for young children

They dont always understand

Need to describe in a way so they know what theyre getting into

Ethics of research with children

Informed consent

Voluntary participation

Condifentiality

Non-harm

What is epidemiology

Study of population based health

incidents od disorders, risk factors, what influences outcomes

How often a disease or disorder occurs

What is the course of the disorder

Helps us understand how we are making these diagnosis

Psychometric condiserations

Standardizations

• Need to be administered in same way

• Ensures results comparable

Reliability

Validity

Types of Data Collection

Reporting

Psychphysiological data

Neuroimaging

Observations

Testing

Why is reporting unreliable

People are bad at reporting their own behaviour

Accuracy is a problem

Failure to recall, sometimes people lie

Sometimes hard for people to understand contect

What is neuroimaging

Taking images of the brain, allows us to see what structures are how they connected

Types of observations

Naturalistic — being able to watch in a natural environment

Structured — watch them in a lab

Experimental vs Quasi Experimental

• Experimental: researcher changes something 

• Quasi-Experiment: research does not randomly assign

Prospective vs Retrospective

• Prospective is you recruit people and they follow you 

• Retrospective is when you identify people with disorders and get them to think back 

Single case experiments designs vs. between groups comparisons 

• Single: focus on one person or small number 

• Group: two or more groups of people 

Cross-sectional vs longitudinal studies 

• Cross-sectional studies are a single point in time 

• Longitudinal studies follow people over time

Dunedin Longitudinal Study 

• New Zealand

• Followed every child born in 1972

• Over 1000 people

Why is understanding normal development important in developmental psychopathology?

Normal development helps us identify what is typical and informs our understanding of atypical behaviour.

What does “behaviour is multiply determined” mean?

Behaviour usually has many causes, not just one.

How do children and their environments interact?

They are interdependent; children influence their environment and are influenced by it.

What does continuity in behaviour refer to?

How behaviour today can predict behaviour tomorrow; patterns tend to persist over time.

What is discontinuity in behaviour?

Exceptions where behaviours change depending on circumstances or situations.

Are behaviours always consistent over time and situations?

Not always; behaviours can become less consistent in different contexts.

Systems Theory - Bronfrenbrenner

Draws circles surrounding eachother

Middle in individual, other people in adjacent circles

Microsystem

People who directly Interact with individual

People interacting directly with child

Friends, family

Mesosystem

Connections between microsystem

parent-teacher communication

Exosystem

Indirect influences

Parents workplace

Macrosystem

Broad culture, social or economic influences

Laws, Cultural norms

Chronosystem

Influence of time and life events

Parental divorce, historical events

Psychoanalysts

Activity of the mind that is subconscous

What were behaviourists interesting in

Observable behaviours that we could measure

What is behaviour modifed by

Environment and people in environment

Bandura

You can observe other people getting punished or rewarded and feel different emotions

Showed kids videos of others playing nicely or mean with a bobo doll, kids learn that the others kids behaviour might get them something they want

Dodge

Hostile attribution bias — the tendency to see others actions as intentionally hostile

Explains how kids with behaviour problems see the world through a more negative lens

Q: How does brain development progress from conception to adulthood?

A: Brain begins forming at ~8 cells; by 32 cells, the brain starts forming structurally. Fully developed around age 25. Oldest/primitive brain parts develop first; prefrontal cortex develops later with synapses and myelin.

Q: What role do neurotransmitters play in the brain?

A: Neurochemicals act as “keys” between cells, influencing how the brain functions and behavior. Serotonin receptors exist in both brain and gut.

Q: How similar is brain structure across humans?

A: Structural patterns are largely common; identical twins may diverge over time due to lifestyle.

Q: What is temperament?

A: Biological precursor to personality; ~50% inherited, 50% environmental. Traits include being easily startled, showing early behavioral patterns.

Q: What are facets of temperament?

A: Traits combine to form a “picture” of a person’s typical behavior. Early traits influence personality later in life.

Q: What is attachment?

A: Reciprocal relationship between caregiver and child. Early interactions shape ongoing relationships and behavior patterns.

Q: How does attachment develop in infants?

A: 4-6 weeks: smiling begins. Cooing starts weeks later. Eye contact promotes parent attention and secure attachment. Parents serve as a secure base during distress.

Q: What is the psychodynamic view on early relationships?

A: Early relationships heavily influence how we experience the world and form personality/behavior patterns.

Q: How do genetics and environment interact?

A: Nature and nurture are inseparable. Epigenetics shows genes can be turned on/off by experiences. Genetic heritage influences behavior but environment can modify outcomes.

Q: What is niche-picking?

A: Choosing environments that match one’s temperament/genetic predispositions.

Q: What is differential diagnosis?

A: Process of ruling out other disorders to find the main, most accurate disorder. Often one primary disorder with overlapping symptoms.

Q: What are the problems and purposes of labeling?

A: Labels can cause stigma, limit perspective, and overlook context. Purposes include shorthand for professionals, accessing resources, and treatment planning.

Q: What are idiographic vs nomothetic perspectives?

A: Idiographic: unique individual profile (history, context, biology).
Nomothetic: patterns/general rules across populations (e.g., common depression symptoms).

Q: How do demographics influence clinical assessment?

A: Age, gender/sex/identity, culture, SES affect expectations, stigma, and access to treatment.

Q: What are best practices for gathering assessment info?

A: Use multiple sources (parent, teacher, child, other caregivers), multiple formats (interviews, testing, rating scales, observation), and consider clinician style.

Q: What is intelligence testing good for?

A: Predicts long-term outcomes; reflects cultural value systems. Studies show differences in how cultures interact with infants (e.g., AA vs. white mothers).

Q: What are developmental scales?

A: Assess infants or people with low cognitive ability; identify social skill deficits. Example: Bayley Test for infants/toddlers.

Q: What are achievement tests?

A: Measure academic performance: reading, writing, math, oral/written expression; compare to age expectations.

Q: What are neuropsychological assessments?

A: Evaluate discrete cognitive skills (visual/verbal memory, recognition, recall); link brain functioning to performance.

Q: What are projective tests?

A: Psychological tools like inkblots; historically central, now less common.

Q: What is DSM-5 TR and why is it controversial?

A: Test Revision (2022) of DSM-5; reorganized disorders, eliminated some (e.g., Asperger’s). Criticized for ignoring environment and limited data on children/adolescents.

Q: What are limitations of DSM-5 TR?

A: Limited child-focused diagnoses, lifespan perspective, and validity; assumes disorders reside within the individual.

Q: How do we define normal behavior in children?

A: Many behaviors are age-typical: fussy babies, hyperactive toddlers, oppositional teens. Problems arise when behaviors occur outside expected developmental times.

Q: What is evidence-based treatment?

A: Testing treatment models under conditions to see effectiveness; helps choose treatments that actually work.

Q: Why are children and adolescents hard to treat?

A: Parental consent needed, children see world differently, parents involved (sometimes embarrassed or defensive), treatments are multi-component.

Q: What is psychodynamic therapy?

A: Focus on early relationships, subconscious experiences, and how past predicts present behavior.

Q: What is behavioral therapy?

A: Dysfunction is learned; treatment focuses on unlearning, e.g., exposure therapy for phobias.

Q: What is cognitive therapy?

A: Focuses on identifying and changing thoughts. CBT combines cognitive + behavioral approaches.

Q: What is client-centered therapy?

A: Emphasizes affirming and validating client experience; builds self-worth.

Q: What is family therapy?

A: Problem is within the family system, not one individual; treatment involves family dynamics.

Q: What is biological therapy?

A: Medication or interventions that change brain chemistry.

Q: How does sleep promote resilience?

A: Supports cellular repair, hormone balance, learning, mood regulation. Recommended: toddlers 11–14h, teens 8–10h, adults 8h.

Q: What are key elements of good sleep hygiene?

A: Consistent schedule, dark/quiet/cool room (18–19°C), avoid light stimulation 1h before bed.

Q: How does diet/nutrition promote resilience?

A: Follow Canadian Food Guide: half plate fruits/veg, quarter protein, limit fat/sugar. Supports brain myelination and growth.

Q: How does physical activity help?

A: Daily movement improves mood, stress management; adolescents need ≥60 min/day including bone-strengthening and aerobic activity.

Q: How does screen time affect resilience?

A: Under 2: none (except video chats). 2–5: 1h/day with co-viewing. 6–18: ≤2h/day outside schoolwork. Content matters.

Q: How do social relationships support resilience?

A: Varies by child; younger children often family-focused, older children peers-focused.

Q: How do Western/Colonial and Indigenous models of psychopathology differ?

A:

• Western: individual-focused, autonomy, material wealth, life problems = abnormal, hierarchical relationships, linear time.

• Indigenous: creation-centered, balanced relationships, obstacles = learning, egalitarian relationships, cyclical time, cultural curiosity.

Q: How do colonial harms affect treatment?

A: Intergenerational trauma, stigma, limited care, assumptions of pan-Indigenity, ignoring personal systems.

Q: What characterizes Bulimia Nervosa?

A: Recurrent binge eating episodes with rapid consumption of large food amounts in a short time; fear of losing control over eating; weight often remains normal.

Q: What are the types of Bulimia Nervosa?

A:

• Purging type: Vomiting (common) or laxatives (less common).

• Non-purging type: Fasting, excessive exercise (e.g., hot day workouts).

Q: What are the physical health risks of bulimia?

A:

• Esophagus erosion and stomach damage from vomiting.

• Dental cavities.

• Laxative dependence → permanent colon damage, constipation.

• Electrolyte imbalances → headaches, low energy, irregular heartbeat, risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

• Swelling of salivary glands, fluid retention, broken facial blood vessels.

Q: What physical signs may indicate bulimia?

A: Broken blood vessels in the face, puffiness under jaw, enlarged salivary glands, odor from vomiting, signs of fluid retention.

Q: When does bulimia typically begin and who is at risk?

A: Onset in middle to late adolescence/high school.

• Female adolescents: ~1%

• College age: ~4%

• More common in industrialized societies, especially among white females (research data).

Q: What disorders commonly co-occur with bulimia?

A: Mood and anxiety disorders; personality disorders in severe cases.

Q: What factors contribute to bulimia?

A:

• Genetics: runs in families, with significant environmental influence.

• Low serotonin levels (unclear if pre-existing).

• Personality: perfectionism, sensitivity to rejection, high achievement orientation.

• Family: history of depression/substance use, discord, hostility, early focus on dieting/weight.

Q: What is eating disorder recovery outlook?

A: Slightly over 50% recover with treatment; relapse often triggered by stress or sad moods.

Q: Why are eating disorders difficult to treat?

A: Poor insight; distorted body image; complicated psychopathology requiring multi-layered treatment (e.g., depression → anxiety → family issues).

Q: What behavioral treatments are used eating disorders?

A:

• Behavior modification: Rewards for healthy eating patterns.

• Antidepressants: Improve mood/perfectionism, not eating behavior.

• Cognitive therapy: Self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, thought replacement.

• Family therapy: Restructure family interactions, improve communication, establish healthy boundaries, reduce conflict avoidance and overprotection.

Q: How many hours of sleep do newborns need?

A: 16–20 hours/day; can be awake 2–4 hours at a time; most have regular schedules.

Q: How many hours of sleep do 1-year-olds need?

A: About 12 hours/day; some need more.

Q: How many hours of sleep do children 6–12 years old need?

A: 10–11 hours/day.

Q: How many hours of sleep do teens need?

A: 8–10 hours/night.

Q: How does the sleep/wake cycle shift in adolescence?

A: Circadian rhythm shifts forward; teens wake and sleep later due to hormonal changes; shifts back in adulthood.

Q: What are the main purposes of sleep?

A: Tissue repair (bone, brain), growth, neurological cleanup, myelination, removal of dead cells.

Q: What is REM sleep and why is it important?

A: Brain is very active, heart rate and BP rise; most REM occurs in babies; adults get less; can act out dreams.

Q: What is Non-REM sleep?

A: Light/deep sleep; body is still, HR and BP slow; occurs during first part of night.

Q: What are common sleep problems in infants?

A: Not sleeping through the night, inability to self-soothe; parents often exhausted; can use gentle pats/talking.

Q: What are common sleep problems in preschoolers?

A: Reluctance to go to bed, fear-based issues, FOMO, difficulty falling asleep.

Q: What are common sleep problems in adolescents?

A: Insufficient sleep, shifted schedules; associated with ADHD and anxiety; can lead to hallucinations if severely sleep-deprived.

Q: What are dyssomnias in children?

A: Difficulty falling or staying asleep; anxiety may contribute; not necessarily psychopathology.

Q: What is sleepwalking in children?

A: Non-REM sleep disorder; eyes open but unconscious; episodes last seconds to 30 min+; risk of injury; more likely if parent was sleepwalker; usually resolves by adolescence.