LECTURE 9 - CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH Flashcards
What is infant mental health?
The developing capacity of a child from birth to three to experience, express, and regulate emotions, form relationships, and explore the environment.
What is emotion regulation?
Processes by which emotional arousal is maintained within an individual’s capacity to cope.
What are extrinsic processes in emotion regulation?
Caregiver support, such as parental “holding” to help infants regulate emotions.
What are intrinsic processes in emotion regulation?
Brain and nervous system developments that enable self-regulation.
What is the significance of emotional competence?
It is critical for healthy social and emotional development and successful developmental milestones.
What happens if emotional milestones are not met?
Preschoolers may face psychopathology at the time and later in life.
What are basic emotions observed at birth to 6 months?
Startle, disgust, distress, happiness, anger, and saDNESS
What milestone appears at 7-9 months?
Genuine fear of strangers and separation anxiety.
What is social referencing?
Using another’s emotional expressions as a source of information, observed by 12 months.
What complex emotions appear by 1-2 years?
Shame, pride, and empathy.
What is parallel play?
Infants play alongside each other but do not interact directly, typical at 1-2 years.
What emerges at 3+ years?
Cooperative play, pretend play, pro-social behaviors like sharing, and dominance hierarchies.
What is temperament?
Constitutionally-based personality traits influenced by maturation and experience.
What are the nine dimensions of temperament identified by Thomas and Chess?
Activity level,
rhythmicity,
approach/withdrawal,
adaptability,
intensity,
threshold,
mood,
distractibility, and attention span/persistence.
What are the three temperament types?
Easy, difficult, and slow to warm up.
How does temperament influence emotional development?
It determines the intensity of infant behaviors, eliciting specific caregiver responses.
What is attachment?
A special relationship between infant and caregiver that promotes survival and modulates emotions.
What is a secure attachment?
Develops when caregivers respond sensitively, providing a foundation for future relationships.
What is an insecure attachment?
Results from unresponsive caregiving, leading to negative beliefs about oneself and others.
What is the prevalence of child mental health problems in the UK (2003)?
10% of children aged 5–15, with 5% conduct disorders and 4% emotional disorders.
How did the prevalence of mental health problems change from 2004 to 2017?
Increased from 10.1% to 11.2% in 5–15-year-olds.
What are common reasons for referral to CAMHS?
Disruptive behavior difficulties, including persistent oppositional or aggressive behavior.
What are risk factors for child mental health problems?
Family violence, poverty, low intelligence, and deviant peer groups.
What are protective factors for child mental health?
Supportive relationships, good education, positive self-esteem, and material resources.
What is the difference between instrumental and hostile aggression?
Instrumental aggression aims to achieve an external goal, while hostile aggression aims to harm.
What is reactive aggression?
Aggression in response to provocation.
What is proactive aggression?
Aggression used to achieve a specific goal.
What is relational aggression?
Indirect aggression, such as spreading rumors to harm social status.
What did Côté et al. (2007) find about aggression?
Physical aggression decreases, while indirect aggression increases with age.
What is Resource Control Theory?
Social dominance strategies include coercive (aggression) and prosocial (reciprocity, alliances).
What are callous-unemotional (CU) traits?
Lack of guilt and empathy, linked to psychopathy and poor outcomes.
How do genetic factors influence aggression?
Genetics account for 41% of variance in antisocial behavior, often mediated by temperament.
What is the role of MAOA in aggression?
The low-activity MAOA genotype increases aggression in maltreated boys.
How does parenting influence aggression?
Ineffective discipline and lack of parental warmth increase aggressive behaviors.
What are predictors of antisocial peer group affiliations?
Low family SES, parental conflict, and early behavior problems.
What is bullying?
Intentional peer aggression with a power imbalance and repetition.
What are types of bullying?
Physical, verbal, relational, identity-based, and cyberbullying.
What are consequences of being bullied?
Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts.
What did Wolke et al. (2013) find about bullying outcomes?
Bully-victims face poorer outcomes in health, wealth, and social relationships in adulthood.
