Whole Book Summary
Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology (DSM-V update)
R. Wicks-Nelson & A.C. Israel (2015)
‘Developmental Psychopathology’
Universiteit Leiden
,Contents in this summary (correspond to the book):
• Chapter 1 – Introduction:
o Defining and identifying abnormality
o How common are Psychological Problems?
o How are Developmental Level and Disorder Related?
o How are Gender and Disorder Related?
o Historical Influences
o Current Study and Practice
• Chapter 2 – The Developmental Psychopathology Perspective (DPP):
o Perspectives, Theories, Models
o The Developmental Psychopathology Perspective: An Overview
o Concept of Development
o Searching for Causal Factors and Processes
o Pathways of Development
o Risk, Vulnerability and Resilience
o Continuity of Disorder
o Normal Development, Problematic Outcomes
• Chapter 3 – Biological and Environmental Contexts of Psychopathology
o Brain and Nervous System
o Nervous System and Risk for Disordered Functioning
o Genetic Context
o Learning and Cognition
o Sociocultural Context: An Overview
o Family Context, Maltreatment, and Divorce
o Peer Influences
o Community and Societal Contexts
• Chapter 5 – Classification, Assessment and Intervention
o Classification and Diagnosis
o Assessment
o Intervention: Prevention and Treatment
• Chapter 6 – Anxiety and Related Disorders
o An Introduction to Internalizing Disorders
o Defining and Classifying Anxiety Disorders
o Epidemiology of Anxiety Disorders
§ Specific Phobias (SP)
§ Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
§ Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
§ School Refusal (SR)
§ Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
§ Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder (PA/PD)
§ Reactions to Traumatic Events
§ Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
o Etiology of Anxiety and Related Disorders
o Assessment of Anxiety Disorders
o Interventions for Anxiety and Related Disorders
• Chapter 7 – Mood Disorders
o A Historical Perspective
o The DSM Approach to the Classification of Mood Disorders
o Depression
§ Definition and Classification of Depression
§ Epidemiology of Depression
§ Depression and Development
§ Etiology of Depression
§ Assessment of Depression
§ Treatment of Depression
§ Prevention of Depression
o Bipolar Disorders
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, o Suicide
• Chapter 8 – Conduct Problems
o Classification and Description
o Epidemiology
o Developmental Course
o Etiology
o Substance Use
o Assessment
o Intervention
• Chapter 9 – Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
o Evolving Ideas About ADHD
o DSM Classification and Diagnosis
o Description: Primary Features
o Description: Secondary Features
o DSM Subtypes
o Co-occurring Disorders
o Epidemiology
o Developmental Course
o Neuropsychological Theories of ADHD
o Neurobiological Abnormalities
o Etiology
o A Schema of the Development of ADHD
o Assessment
o Intervention
• Chapter 10 – Language and Learning Disabilities
o A Bit of History: Unexpected Disabilities, Unmet Needs
o Definitional Concerns
o Language Disabilities
o Learning Disabilities: Reading, Writing, Arithmetic
o Social and Motivational Problems
o Brain Abnormalities in Language and Learning Disabilities
o Etiology of Language and Learning Disabilities
o Assessing Language and Learning Disabilities
o Intervention for Language and Learning Disabilities
o Special Education Services
• Chapter 11 – Intellectual Disability
o Definition and Classification
o Nature of Intelligence and Adaptive Behavior
o Description
o Co-occurring Disorders
o Epidemiology
o Developmental Course and Considerations
o Etiology
o Genetic Syndromes and Behavioral Phenotypes
§ Down Syndrome (DS)
§ Fragile X-Syndrome (FXS)
§ Williams Syndrome (WS)
§ Prader-Willi Syndrome (P-WS)
o Family Accommodations and Experiences
o Assessment
o Intervention
• Chapter 12 – Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia
o A Bit of History
o DSM: Autism Spectrum Disorder
o Autistic Disorder (Autism)
o Schizophrenia
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,Chapter 1 – Introduction
Defining and Identifying Abnormality
Criteria for abnormality are primarily based on:
• How a person is acting
• What a person is saying
Atypical and Harmful Behavior
• Disorder = a syndrome of clinically significant behavioral, cognitive or emotional
disturbances that reflect dysfunction in underlying mental processes, and that is associated
with distress or disability in important areas of functioning (American Psychiatric Association,
2013).
• Abnormality/psychopathology: interfering with adaptation à individuals fitting the
circumstances of their lives. It prevents young people from negotiating developmental tasks:
o Acquiring language skills
o Emotional control
o Social relationships
• Disorder can be viewed as residing within the individual vs. reactions to circumstances
Developmental Standards
• Developmental norms = describe the typical rates of growth, sequences of growth and forms
of physical skills, language, cognition, emotion and social behavior.
• Signs that are noteworthy:
o Delayed development (ex. Speech sound disorder)
o Developmental regression/deterioration (ex. Bed-wetting for a 7-year-old)
o Atypical (too high or low) frequency of behavior (ex. Compulsions)
o Intensity (too high or low) of behavior (ex. Specific phobia)
o Duration/persistence of behavior (ex. depressed mood)
o Display of behavior in inappropriate situations (ex. Specific phobia)
o Behavior abruptly changes (ex. Appearance of social withdrawal)
o Several problem behaviors (ex. Separation anxiety disorder)
o Behavior qualitatively different form normal (ex. Lack normal eye contact)
Culture and Ethnicity
• Culture = the idea that groups of people:
§ Are organized in specific ways
§ Live in specific environmental niches
§ Share specific attitudes, beliefs, values, practices and behavioral standards.
o Culture is transmitted from generation to generation.
• Cultural norms = have influence on expectations, judgement and beliefs about behavior of
youth.
• Ethnicity = denotes:
o Common costumes
o Values
o Language
o Traits that are associated with national origin or geographic area
• Race = a distinction based on physical characteristics, can also be associated with:
o Shared customs
o Values
o The like
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, Other Standards: Gender and Situations
• Gender norms = influence development. Expecting behavior from male/female. They affect:
o Emotions
o Behaviors
o Opportunities
o Choices
o Example: we expect a male to be aggressive and dominant, but we question the
opposite behavior because it’s a stereotype.
• Situational norms = what is expected in specific settings or social situations.
o Example: you can’t jog in a library, but you can jog on a playground.
The Role of Others
• Problems mostly occur when others, like parents or teachers, become concerned.
o Example: when parents worry about social isolation of a child.
Changing views of Abnormality
• Earlier, people thought abnormal behavior was:
o Masturbation
o Nail biting
o Excessive intellectual activity in young women
• Enhanced knowledge and theoretical modifications have improved these views on what’s
normal and abnormal behavior.
How Common are Psychological Problems?
• The prevalence of behavioral and psychological disorder suggests the extent to which
prevention, treatment and research are needed.
o Prevalence of disturbances in preschoolers (18-months): 16% - 18%
o Prevalence of disorders in youth aged 4-18 years: 5.4% - 35.5%
§ Major emotional and conduct disorders in youth: 13% - 22%
§ Serious mental health problem in youth: 10%
§ Mild to moderate problems in youth: 10%
• Frequency of disorder or symptoms depends on how a disorder is defined and the criteria.
• Rates of disorder can vary with the measures used, whether parents, teachers and youth
themselves are the source of information and what characteristics of the population are
(age, gender, clinic vs community populations).
• Concern has been expressed that societal changes have an increased risk of disorders for
youth.
o Example: medical advances à have increased the survival of infants born
prematurely or with physical problems, and these have high rates on difficulties.
• Secular trends = historical information.
o Research focuses on changes in environment of youth: economic, family, education,
values, lifestyle, gender, social class
• It is estimated that youth with diagnosable disorders do not receive adequate treatment.
Reasons for concern:
1. No one wants to see young people suffer the pain or lowered quality of life associated
with psychopathology.
2. Early disturbances can interfere with subsequent developmental processes, leading to an
accumulation of problems.
3. Mental health problems in youth adversely influence families and the broader society.
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