Exam 1 Flashcards
Why study child psychopathology?
- most adult disorders are predicted by childhood disorders.
- prevention to help kids early on.
- children can overcome obsticals when giving the right circumstances.
Mental illness vs. mental health
you can still have good mental health while being mentally ill
- feeling like you belong, have purpose, community engagement
define abnormal
deviation from act is normal, the criteria is usually used whether someone is exhibiting symptoms of clinical concern..
- different than what we would expect
in addition to dysfunction / abnormality - there are 3 other things that deem something pathological.
- distress
…. behaviour must cause the individual distress. - impairment
…. behaviour that interferes with functioning in key domains
and / or
- increased risk for future harm
What are the different types of context we need to evaluate when looking at a behaviour?
- cultural context
- developmental context
(4 vs. 14 years old) - gender norms
- situational norms
- stressful circumstances
what is individual vs. relational dysfunction?
does the problem of emotional disregulation come from within child, or is it a product of their relationships?
What is developmental psych?
have to judge how a kid is doing by what is developmental appropriate for that age range.
Developmental period: 0-2
- what are some developmental tasks, challenges, and diagnoses?
- walking / talking
- learning the difference between self and others.
- attachment.
- sensory learning
- mismatches between Childs needs and caregivers capacities.
- temper
- Down syndrome
- failure to thrive.
Developmental period:
2-5
- what are some developmental tasks, challenges, and diagnoses?
- building autonomy
- self control
- the word NO.
- disobedience,
- bedtime resistance
- demand attention
- hearing loss detection
- phobias
- autism
Developmental period:
6-11
- what are some developmental tasks, challenges, and diagnoses?
- basic academic skills
- following rules
- making friends
- showing off too hard
- concentration
-ADHD
- leanring disorders
- anxiety
Developmental period:
12-20
- what are some developmental tasks, challenges, and diagnoses?
- identity
- achievement
- close friendships
- self-acceptance
- romance
- arguing
-lonley
-self-esteem - rejection
- sensitive to peer opinion
- anorexia
- alchohol use
- suicidality
-self harm - depression
What are the six core principles of developmental psychology?
- Multi-causality
- Continuity and Discontinuity
3 Developmental Pathways (equifinality and multi finality) - Risk processes
- Promotive and protective factors
- Developmental cascades
Developmental psych principle #1:
what is multi-causality?
The child and their environment are interdependent…
this means that you have to look at what’s happening within the child and within the environment they are apart of.
Developmental psych principle #2:
What is continuity and discontinuity?
both describe trajectory of a disorder.
continuity - past behaviour predicts future behaviour… aggressive child –> aggressive adult.
discontinuity - past does not predict future. abrupt changes in behaviour.
calm child –> murderous adult.
Developmental psych principle #3:
What are the developmental pathways equifinality and multifinality?
Equifinality: (equal finish) = different life events can lead to a similar experience.
e.g., poverty –> depression
isolation –> depression
no friends –> depression..
Multi-finality: (multi-finish) = a similar experience leads to a bunch of different outcomes depending on the kid.
e.g., depression –> suicidality
depression –> therapy
depression –> making sad friends. (lol idk)
Developmental psych principle #4:
What are risk processes in childhood development?
definition: characteristics, events, or processes that put the individual at risk for the development of psychological processes..
lots of different kinds of risks..
- structural vs. individual risks
- proximal vs. distal risks (direct and indirect)
- Accumulation of risks
- non specific risks…
(will go into all of this)
- timing of risk
- periods of vulnerability
- risk for onset may differ from risk for persistence
what are structural and individual risks?
structural = a risk within the community / economy that has affected the individual.
individual = the risk someone expereinces directly.
what is proximal vs. distal risks (direct and indirect)
proximal risk = losing your job
distal risk = your father losing his job
what is accumulation of risks?
children are likely to be resistant to 1 or 2 risks, but when there are more risks children are less likely to be resilient
what is a non specific risk?
having this risk doesn’t mean you will end up with a disorder.
what are some different condition that lead to poor mental health in youth?
- Identify as non-binary or LGBTQ.
- Born in Canada
- Housing instability
- Poverty & deprivation
- Activities after bedtime
- Victimization and discrimination
- Relation or close friend attempted suicide.
- Experienced a concussion.
Does the timing of when a risk factor happens matter?
yes. the impact will be significantly different if the child is 2, 10, 16, ect..
this is why its important to know what happened to a child at what age.
When is a time of heightened vulnerability for risk factors?
puberty
true or false! there are different sets of risk factors that explain why a disorder persist then why it starts.
true! risks for onset and persistence differ!
Developmental psych principle #5: what are promotive and protective factors?
promotive:
characteristics within the PERSON or the ENVIRONMENT that serve to reduce negative behaviour and promote positive healthy development.
Protective:
characteristics, EVENTS, OR PROCESSES that promote ADAPTATION in the CONTEXT OF RISK.
examples promotive:
= eating healthy, sleeping enough, volunteering, internal strengths, enough time with friends, abstaining from drugs.
examples of protective: going to therapy. lol idk
Developmental psych principle #6:
what are developmental cascades?
a chain reaction.. earlier processes affect subsequent development.
explaination for co-morbidity?
Second Major Framework:
social - structural - power framework.
just talks about oppression, structural and systemic factors, inequity
Goal:
We want to help people see the inequities in society, and see how the system that they are apart of is unfair.
- Lets not always locate the problem within the child.
what is oppression?
the use of power to disempower, marginalize, silence or otherwise subordinate one social group or category, often in order to further empower and privilege the oppressor
what is meant by structural competency?
sometimes structural and social barriers can be a better explanation for someones mental health than the internal risk someone might be experiencing…
e.g., socioeconomic disparity, systemic issues surrounding educational environment (e.g., bad teachers), heath care..
what does inequity mean?
unequal access to opportunities.
unequal representation.
unequal power.
access: safe housing, health care, good education, employment, clean environment
representation: in schools, government, media, products.
power: resources, information and knowledge, positions of leadership
how does representation lead to equity?
the more representation of diverse groups there are in positions of power (poor / mental health), the more likely those people will do things like pass bills to bring equity to those areas.
also, the knowledge of how to do things gets shared. increases privilege and shared power.
e.g., if your dad went to university, he can tell you how to go to university.
What are some structural barriers that create and maintain wellbeing?
- too many police in neighbourhoods
- racial segregation
- educational funding
- employment pattern
- racial income inequity
-home ownership
Name this theory
Racism is systemic versus an individual problem of prejudice, stereotyping
“locates the foundations of racism not in hearts and minds of biased individuals but instead in ecological structures of racism inscribed in everyday worlds”
Critical race theory
What are some internal risks for the biological level of analysis?
genetics
neurobiology
temperament
what are some external risks for the biological level of analysis?
environmental experiences
What is an interactive model for the biological level of analysis?
gene-environment interactions
Biological internal risk factors:
how do genetics contribute to risk?
- genetic inheritance (single / multiple)
- hormones and neurotransmitters (proteins)
Do genes determine behaviour?
no.
are genetic influences malleable?
yes
How can neurobiology contribute to biological internal risk factors?
brain structures and function:
- Limbic system
- Basal ganglia
- cerebral hemisphere (e.g., frontal lobe)
- endocrine system (pituitary, thyroid, hormone regulation, adrenal gland)
Neurotransmitters
- dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine.
How does Temparment contribute to biological internal risk factors?
things like:
- regularity of sleeping
- eating
- reactions to new stimuli (withdrawn or no?)
- mood
- distractability
- intensity of reaction
are kids easy going? or difficult…
built in differences that you can start to notice from a few months old.
–> I guess more difficult temperament is a biological factor that contributes to risk..
How does the malleability of the brain contribute to biological EXTERNAL risk factors?
when brain development is affected by a lack of opportunities and limitations..
e.g., poor prenatal care, prenatal drug exposure.
e.g., diet, toxins, brain injury, inadequate stimulation.
these are environmental factors that shape a kids brain into RISK lol.
how does someones experience affect their biology?
neuroplasticity
- selective pruning as brain develops
Epigenetic changes :
- turning on and off genes
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
- basically keeps that cortisol pumping and keeps kid in stress response.
- stress becomes toxic and affects behaviour and health.
How is poverty an example of a biological external risk factor?
- clean drinking water
- access to healthy food.
How do biology and envionment come together to create an interactive perspective on risk?
- epigenetics
- genetic vulnerability ONLY results in a disorder when there are additional environmental risks present.
... yes if envi stessy genetic vulnerability --> disorder? ... no if no envi stressy
are genes and environment interdependent?
no.
how does the diathesis stress model contribute to an interactive perspective on biological risk?
adversity will ONLY lead to a negative outcome in individuals that carry some form of vulnerability..
e..g, the vulnerability of a irritable temperament, when met with the adversity of critical or unpredictable parenting can lead to the outcome of poor adjustment.
...yes if genetic vul adversity --> neg outcome? ... no if no genetic vul
interactive model #3.. woohoo!
what is differential impact theory?
person X environment = adjustment…
has more weight in environmental context.
- systems surrounding someone are responsible for adaptation.
- individual susceptibility holds less weight.
the impact of individual factors matters less when the risk factors in the environment are really high.. it doesn’t really matter what kind of temperament you have if you are in a high risk context (poverty / abuse).
- how that kid is doing will have more to do with their access to interventions than biological makeup.
At the psychological level of analysis, what are some internal risk factors?
emotion theories
At the psychological level of analysis, what are some external risks?
behavioural theories.
At the psychological level of analysis, what are some interactive theories?
cognitive theories
psychological internal risk factors…
what is the difference between emotions / mood?
emotions are short
moods are long.
emotions can help us focus our attention, internal monitoring on how you’re feeling. learn from our own emotions and other peoples.
psychological internal risk factors..
how does emotional regulation contribute?
- ability to self soothe
- regulate emotional intensity
- ability to integrate mixed emotions..
- culturally appropriate displays of emotions.
- feel emotions without letting them take over..
basically just how emotions are maintained, regulated, and restored dictates healthy emotional functioning..