(10) Developmental Psychopathology

Question 1

What is the The normative principle?

Answer 1

we judge in comparison to what is considered ‘normal’, e.g. 2-year-old having tantrums is normal, but not 10/11-year-old

Question 2

What is the The early precursors principle?

Answer 2

we need to look for early warning signs, e.g. children who are antisocial, rejected by peers

Question 3

What is the The multiple pathways principle?

Answer 3

we must consider multiple levels of functioning (e.g. genetic, social), how they interact together

Question 4

What is the Medical model?

Answer 4

disorders come from within

Question 5

What is the Social model?

Answer 5

opposite of medical model, what causes abnormality externally, the role of society, different from the rest of society

Question 6

What is the Statistical model?

Answer 6

deviation from average

Question 7

What is Diagnosis reliability?

Answer 7

overlap between symptoms, would two clinicians give the same diagnosis?, a measure of how often two or more clinicians arrive independently at the same diagnosis of a particular disorder

Question 8

What can over diagnosis lead to?

Answer 8

Over medication

Question 9

What are Under controlled disorders?

Answer 9

the child appears to lack self-control, has a negative impact on others e.g. Conduct Disorder, ADHD

Question 10

What is Over controlled disorders?

Answer 10

the child appears overly controlled, withdrawn, negative, e.g. depression

Question 11

What is Pervasive developmental disorders (PDD)?

Answer 11

difficulties in cognitive, emotional and social development e.g Autism

Question 12

What is conduct disorder?

Answer 12

Characterised by behaviour that violates the rights of others or major societal norms

Question 13

Who is conduct disorder more common in?

Answer 13

Boys

Question 14

What are behvaiours of conduct disorder?

Answer 14

• More likely to commit crimes
• Aggression to people and animals e.g. bullying traits, physical fighting
• Destruction of property
• Deceitfulness or theft
• Serious violations of rules, e.g. parental rules, missing school

Question 15

What are traits of conduct disorder?

Answer 15

• lack of guilt and empathy for victims and callous behaviour for self-gain
• Highly heritable, e.g. identical twins
• Difficulties with emotion processing, recognising facial expressions and fear, e.g. amygdala show weaker response to fear

Question 16

What can cause conduct disorder?

Answer 16

-Impulsiveness, not thinking of consequences
-Low IQ and low education attainment
-Child abuse
-Parental conflict and disrupted families
-Socioeconomic factors
-Community influences
(Murray et al 2010)

Question 17

How can conduct disorder be treated?

Answer 17

• Can be hard to treat
• Many treatments (e.g. problem-solving skills or anger coping therapy) ineffective (Brestan and Eyberg, 1998)
• Parenting interventions have some success – focus on rewarding desirable behaviour, handling bad behaviour, time out etc. But CD tends to be resistant treatment
• More successful if early (Webster-Stratton et al, 2001)

Question 18

What is ADHD?

Answer 18

• Inattention, overactivity and impulsivity, acts before thinking
• Boys diagnosed with ADHD twice as much as girls
• Association with anxiety, low self-esteem and learning disabilities
• Problems persist into adolescence and adulthood

Question 19

What can cause ADHD?

Answer 19

• Genetic component: highly heritable – heritability 76%
• Brain differences: frontal lobes delayed in development, smaller, under-activated
• Environmental factors: poverty, education, parenting, divorce, social class, maternal health

Question 20

How can ADHD be treated? (drugs)

Answer 20

• Psychostimulant medication e.g. methylphenidate (Ritalin)
• Increases attention, positive effects for 50-96% of children with ADHD
• But risk of misuse and side effects (Singh, 2008), e.g. selling to peers

Question 21

How can ADHD be treated? (therapy)

Answer 21

• Psychosocial treatments, e.g. behavioural and cognitive behavioural therapy, such as control and social skills
• Which treatment works best?
• Children receiving medication or medication and therapy showed greatest improvement (Van der Oord et al 2008)

Question 22

What is depression in children?

Answer 22

• Previously seen as an adult disorder
• Persistent and pervasive sadness
• Loss of interest and pleasure in activities

Question 23

What symptoms are associated with depressed children?

Answer 23

Associated symptoms: low self-esteem, sleep and appetite changes, suicidal thoughts/behaviour

Question 24

When is a child likely to be diagnosed with depression?

Answer 24

Rates of depression – increase in adolescence

-Nearly twice as many girl’s experience depression

Question 25

What are the key facts about childhood suicide?

Answer 25

- Suicide uncommon before 15 years old - Second most common cause of death in young people - Male adolescents more likely to die by suicide

Question 26

What can cause childhood suicide?

Answer 26

- History of self-harm (71%) | - Risk factors: SES, education, family history, drug and alcohol misuse, depression

Question 27

What can cause childhood depression?

Answer 27

- Biological factors: serotonin - Heritable – some genetic component (but interplay between genes x environment important) - Social/psychological factors: family/peer conflict, neglect, bullying - Cognitive factors: learned helplessness (Seligman, 1974): feel like they have failed to achieve desired outcome in life

Question 28

How can depression be treated?

Answer 28

- Anti-depressants - Mixed results on effectiveness for children and adolescents - Some adolescents who take certain anti-depressants show higher rate of suicidal ideation - Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - Focus on individual, provide strategies - May be more effective than medication for adolescents

Question 29

What is autism?

Answer 29

A life-long neurodevelopmental condition, diagnosed more in boys, might look different in girls

Question 30

What are key traits of autism?

Answer 30

- Difficulties with social communication and social interaction, hard to make friends and read body language - Restricted and repetitive behaviour and interests, very focused - Sensory sensitivities, e.g. lights, noises, textures

Question 31

What can cause autism?

Answer 31

- Biological factors - Genetic (but no single gene) - Brain differences (shape, structure) - Environmental factors? Not the following; vaccines, refrigerator mothers, television and internet - Cognitive: theory of mind, executive dysfunction, weak central coherence

Question 32

What is the theory of mind?

Answer 32

The ability to understand that other people have thoughts, feelings and beliefs (mind reading)

Question 33

When does theory of mind develop?

Answer 33

- Children without autism develop this ability at age 4 | - Autistic individuals may not develop a Theory of Mind (Baron-Cohen et al, 1985)

Question 34

What are Executive functions?

Answer 34

switching focus, self-regulation, self-control, forward planning, autistic children have trouble with this

Question 35

What is weak central coherence?

Answer 35

-Processing of the parts rather than the whole

Question 36

What treatment is there for autism?

Answer 36

- There is no cure for autism - Applied behaviour analysis (ABA): rewarding and reinforcing “positive” behaviour, discouraging “negative” behaviour - Communication and social skills Speech and language therapy, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)