Lecture 1

Question 1

Sandy hook elementary

Answer 1

Adam Lanza
Mom- had firearms
Killed many
Adam- 20 at time of shooting
He was homeschooled
Had several disorders- couldn’t feel pain
Abnormalities- shy cant maintain eyecontact
Before 3 yrs- abnormalities- thought repetition, low social skills, hypersensitive- cant wear tags
Has autism
Social difficulties
OCD- wash hands and change socks, wouldn’t touch door knobs
In middle school- high anxiety diagnosed with ocd
Disorders- comorbid
Environmental influence- mom- introduced guns
What lead to the violence?

Question 2

Abnormal Child Psychology Research Seeks To:

Answer 2

Define normal and abnormal behavior of children for different ages, ethnicity, culture
Identify cases and correlates- identify underlying factors associated w abnormal behaviour
Make predictions of LT- how impacts future functioning
Develop and evaluate treatment and prevention methods- always can improve

Question 3

Features that Distinguish Child and Adolescent Disorders

Answer 3

Adults are often the ones seeking services for children
Many child and adolescent problems:
Involve a failure to show expected developmental progress
Are not entirely abnormal
Interventions are often intended to promote development rather than restoring previous functioning- boost skills don’t just treat symptoms- help underlying compentsicies
Have to consider differences- child and adolescence
1st- child don’t seek direct treatment- usually parent or 3rd party- teacher
Don’t go themselves- changes detection and treatment
Common pattern of development- infant shown distress when Seperated from caregiver-normal when a toddler- abnormal
Many behaviour problems- Not abnormal

Question 4

Historical views

Answer 4

Short history of abnormal psych- influenced by societal changes and treatment of children in general
Ancient greek- children slaves, selection- deem if fit for survival if not- abandoned or killed
Abnormal development- anyone with handicap or disability- embaressement and economic burden
Before 18- children were not a focus, only adults
End of 18th- church providided view of abnormal behaviours- explained by character flaw or demonic
19th century- improves

Question 5

Two Ingredients that were Needed for Real Change in the Treatment of Children

Answer 5

Humane beliefs- how society recognizes and addresses disabled ppl and abnormal behaviours
Methods to recognize and protect the rights of children
After 19th century’s

Question 6

Emergence of Social Conscience –

Answer 6

John Locke- forefront humane beliefs
English philosopher- influenced childbirth and child rearing- treat children with thought and care
Children emotionally sensitive- deserve kindness and education
Provided humane beliefs
Jean Marc- methods
treated appropriately
Treated victor

Question 7

Victor of Aveyron

Answer 7

Living in Paris in woods- severe developmental differences
Treated by john marc
Estimated 12 at time of discovery
Wasn’t normal- didn’t care abt heat or cold
Jean Marc- took him in and socialized him- taught him language
Wanted to teach empathy and lengauage
Eventually stopped learning
He felt empathy and learned some words
First documented case- helping child socialize
Victor couldn’t communicate sensitive period

Question 8

The emergence of a social conscious

Answer 8

Expansion of education-
More children in school- could see development all and conduct differences
Rush- argued children not capable of same level of insanity as adults- brain is not matured enough
Development influences abnormal disorders
Hollingsworth- difficulties caused by maltreatmenent or not enough learning-not problem with child

Question 9

Intellectual disability vs mental disorders

Answer 9

Because of school- distinguish intellectual and emotional poblems prior based on immorality
Normal cog abilities- mentally disturbed= moral insanity- character flaw- moral issue
Served as foundation fo abnormal child views- result of many influences

Question 10

Early Biological Attributes – Biological Disease Model

Answer 10

Late 19th century
Limitation: intervention efforts were often limited to those with the most visible and severe disorders
Clifford Beers- recovered from psychosis
Mental illness- seen as disease biological model
Disease- irreversible
Could prevent severe symptoms- have them adhere to rules and stay away from others

Question 11

Early Biological Attributes (Eugenics and Sterilization)

Answer 11

Early 20th century
Society reverted to a belief that disorders could not be influenced by treatment or learning
Mental disorders viewed as “diseases”, which led to fear of contamination
Reverted back- disorder cant be treated, fear of infection
Prevented procreation- instutionialized

Question 12

Early Psychological Attributes

Answer 12

Early 20th century – 2 major psychological theories
Development of helping children and abnormal child behaviours
Freud psychoanalytic and Watson behaviorism
Freud- disorder linked to experiences, disorders have multiple routes, interaction of normal and abnormal development
Watson- behaviourism emotions, learning, behaviour- identity based off experiences only

Question 13

Psychoanalytic theory

Answer 13

Be honest with oneself
Freud- behaviour driven by past experiences and are unconscious
Changed how we understand self development
May have forgotten important events- creates our self- how we feel, experience life
Early life events influence self
Impacts automatic emotions
Trauma- grows and manifests as emotions later in life
Underlying unconscious influence on behaviour
Not a lot of empirical evidence

Question 14

Behaviourism

Answer 14

Said he could create identity by raising someone specific way
Little Albert- classical conditioning= fear rat
instill uninherited traits
Our behaviour is invoked by stimulus or consequence of early experience
actions and reactions- most important
Intelligence, temp are meant and personality- caused by environment
Advised parents to avoid affection
Nurturing influences life path
Can turn infant into anyone with child rearing
Watson- pioneer of child rearing was very wrong have to be concious what treatment we use

Question 15

Psychodynamic and behaviourism treatement

Answer 15

1930-1950= psychodynamic most popular for mental disorders- resolve internal conflicts
1940- institutionalizations was popular- children raised in institutions- developmental issues inc
1945- deinstititionalization children went to foster homes
1950-behaviour therapy became popular- learning disabilities

Question 16

Define psychological disorders

Answer 16

Patterns of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or physical symptoms linked with one or more of the following:
Distress- fear, sadness
Disability- impairs functioning, development
Increased risk for further suffering or harm- pain suffering
Culture and circumstances matter
The characteristics describe behaviors, not causes
Does not attribute causes or reasons of behaviour
Identify behaviour not reasons behind it

Question 17

Competence

Answer 17

The ability to successfully adapt in the environment
What defines successful adaptation is influenced by different factors
Definitions of abnormality- take competence into account’what is successful adaptation- influenced by culture

Question 18

Determining Abnormality

Answer 18

Abnormal child psychology considers:
The degree of maladaptive behavior
The extent to which normal developmental milestones are met
Knowledge of developmental tasks provides important background information
Keep competence in mind
Not just emphasis on differences and weakness, show strengths- aid treatment methods
Have to know behaviour relative to same aged peers
Developemental tasks- give info into different developemental periods
Conduct- very important- children expected to control behaviour and comply-Follow rules without supervision
Different milestones and stages- give insight into what stage isn’t developed and treatment

Question 19

Developemental pathways

Answer 19

The sequence and timing of particular behaviors as well as the relationships between behaviors over time
Two types of developmental pathways:
Multifinality Various outcomes come from similar beginnings
Equifinality Idea that similar outcomes come from different experiences and developemental pathways
Disorders are not clear cut- different onset, different symptoms

There are many contributors to disordered outcomes in each child
Contributors vary among children who have the same disorder
Children express features of their disturbances in different ways
Pathways leading to particular disorders are numerous and interactive- never a perfect guideline for each children- lots of variability

Question 20

Risk and protective factors

Answer 20

Multifanality
Consider both pos and neginfluence
Many who experience maltreatment in real life- display normal adjustement
Need balance of protective and risk factors
Risk factors A variable that precedes a negative outcome of interest and increases the chances the outcome will occur
Examples: parental mental illness, death of a parent, family breakup, maltreatment, disasters, chronic poverty, community violence, discrimination
Risk factors- inc chance of neg outcome
Many who experience these early adverse events – don’t get disorder
Protective factors Personal or situational variables that mitigates a child’s chance of developing a disorder
Resilience- rebound quickly following trauma
Thriving admist ealry experience
Resilience- doesn’t help you against everything and is not fixed
Varies from stressors and enviroment

Question 21

Characteristics of those who Display Resilience

Answer 21

Good intellectual functioning
Appealing, sociable, easygoing disposition
Self-efficacy, self-confidence, high self-esteem
Talents
Faith Close, caring relationship with parent figure
Authoritative parenting (warmth, structure, high expectations)
Socioeconomic advantages
Connections to extended supportive family networks
Adults outside the family who take an interest in promoting child’s welfare
Connections to social organizations
Attendance at effective schools Different sources of resilience
Having social support- important influence of resilience
All of these generally influence resilience- different for situations and ind

Question 22

The Significance of Mental Health Problems Among Children and Youth

Answer 22

One in eight children has a mental health problem that significantly impairs their functioning
Most mental health problems in adolescence- indicate problems later on
Majority of mental health problems- emerge ealry in development
The majority of children needing mental health services do not receive them- caregiver hesitant, doesn’t recognixe signs, cost of services- fewer than 10%

The demand for children’s mental health services is expected to double over the next decade- prior to COVID- could be even higher now

Question 23

The Changing Picture of Children’s Mental Health

Answer 23

Better ability to distinguish among disorders
Greater awareness of younger children’s and teens’ unique mental health issues- learning disabilities not seen as important, many disorders were overlooked- now know what to look for and have more ppl knowing what to look for
Evidence-based prevention and treatment programs are more prominent- can provide better treatment and in better places- have standardized treatment
Has been improvement over the years
Can better diagnose and distinguish disorders

Question 24

Factors that Affect the Prevalence of Mental Health Issues

Answer 24

Some are more linked to mental health problems
These all have impact on prevelance rates
Poverty One in five children in the U.S. and one in seven in Canada live in poverty
Indigenous and Black children are at greater risk
Greater risk for conduct problems, chronic illness, school problems, emotional disorders, and cognitive/learning problems
Not just economic poverty, children who experience poverty experience other factors- low SES, family conflict, education
Sex differences Boys and girls express problems differently
Sex differences appear negligible in children under age three- inc w age

Question 25

Externalizing vs internalizing problems

Answer 25

Externalizing Higher in boys than girls in preschool and early elementary years
Rates for boys and girls converge by age 18
Refer to acting pity behaviours- aggression, delinquency ]
At a younger age- more prevelant in males decreases as age increases
Internalizing Higher rates among girls
Associated with:
Anxiety, depression, or withdrawn behavior
Somatic complaints
Eating disorders
Emotional disorders with peak age of onset in adolescence
Anxiety, depression
Over time females have more internalizing problems
Sex differences- data is from parent reports, acting out- different for genders
Females- more gossip vs violence
Sigma around males internalizing factors
Other factors may explain gender differences- related to socialization

Question 26

Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Answer 26

Minority children in the U.S. are overrepresented in rates of some disorders
Substance abuse, delinquency, and teen suicide
When controlling for other effects (SES, gender, age, referral status) many of these differences disappear- suggesting other factors such as race
Minority children- experience different aspects-marginilization, racism, health barriers

Question 27

Cultural issues

Answer 27

Values, beliefs, and practices that characterize a particular ethnocultural group contribute to development and expression of children’s disorders.
E.g., Shyness and oversensitivity- in children associated with loneliness and peer rejection in western but in Asian culture- the opposite

Question 28

Child Maltreatment and Non-Accidental Trauma

Answer 28

One in three 10- to 16-year-olds report experiencing physical and/or sexual assaults
Greater risk for PTSD, depressive disorder, or substance abuse
One million verified cases- USA each year
Difficult to know true prevelance
More attention to it now- how to prevent and treat it

Question 29

Special Issues Concerning LGBTQ2S+ Youth

Answer 29

LGBTQ2S+ youth have higher rates of depression, suicidal behavior, substance abuse, and risky sexual behavior- developemental and environmental effects
Adolescence inc risk factors- even more important stage for LGBTQ
Early- to mid-adolescence is an important transitional period for healthy adjustment
Vulnerabilities during adolescence:
Substance use, risky sexual behavior, violence, accidental injuries, and mental health problems
Many experience trauma and violence

Question 30

Lifespan implications

Answer 30

Impact is most severe when problems go untreated for extended periods of time
About 20% of children with the most chronic and serious disorders face life-long difficulties
Lifelong consequences associated with child psychopathology are costly
Over the LT- impact is most severe when untreated
Least likely to finish school and most likely to have developemental issues that impact SES, social group, job Children can overcome major obstacles when promote healthy development

Major initiatives for prevention and intervention have resulted from recognition of children’s mental health problems- efforts to change views around youth- improve understanding of adolescence mental health problems