PSYC 142: Chapter 1 Flashcards
John Locke (17th century)
Believed children should be raised with thought and care, not indifference and harsh treatment
Jean-Marc Itard (19th century)
Focused on the care, treatment, and training of “mental defectives”
Leta Hollingworth
Distinguished individuals with mental retardation (“imbeciles”) from those with psychiatric disorders (“lunatics”)
Benjamin Rush
Claimed that children were incapable of adult-like insanity
- Children with normal cognitive abilities but disturbing behavior suffer from “moral insanity”
Late 19th century: mental illnesses were viewed as biological problems.
thwarted by the prevailing bias that the individual was at fault for deviant or abnormal behavior
- Clifford Beers’ efforts led to detection and intervention
Early 20th century: society reverted to a belief that disorders could not be influenced by treatment or learning.
There was a return to custodial care and punishment of behaviors
Mental disorders viewed as “diseases” led to fear of contamination
Eugenics (sterilization) and segregation (institutionalization) were implemented
Linked mental disorders to childhood experiences and surroundings
Focused on the interaction of developmental and situational processes
- Purported that mental disorders can be helped with proper environment or therapy
- Retains a role as a model for abnormal child psychology
Behaviorism
Laid the foundation for evidence-based treatments
- Pavlov’s research on classical conditioning
- Watson’s studies on the elimination of children’s fears and the theory of emotions
e. g.: little Albert
Psychodynamic Approaches
1930 to 1950: psychodynamic approaches prevailed
- Most children with intellectual or mental disorders were institutionalized
Behavioral Approaches
The 1950s and early 1960s: behavior therapy emerged as a systematic approach to the treatment of child and family disorders
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Free and appropriate public education for children with special needs in the least restrictive environment
- Each child must be assessed with culturally appropriate tests
- An individualized education program (IEP) for each child
United Nations General Assembly (2007) adopted a new convention to protect the rights of persons with disabilities
supports the attitude of considering persons with disabilities as individuals with human rights
Childhood disorders
accompanied by various layers of abnormal behavior or development
- sensitive to each child’s stage of development
- Boundaries between normal and abnormal functioning are arbitrary
Psychological Disorders
Patterns of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or physical symptoms linked with one or more of the following:
- Distress
- Disability
- Increased risk for further suffering or harm
~Culture and circumstances matter
The characteristics describe behaviors, not causes
Stigmatization (labeling)
- Separate the child from the disorder
- Problems may be the result of children’s attempts to adapt to abnormal or unusual circumstances
Competence
The ability to successfully adapt to the environment
- Successful adaptation is influenced by culture and ethnicity
Abnormality
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
Developmental pathways
- Multifinality: various outcomes may stem from similar beginnings
- Equifinality: similar outcomes stem from different early experiences and developmental pathways
Key Considerations in Developmental Pathways
- 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.
Risk factor
A variable that precedes a negative outcome of interest
E.g.: chronic poverty, care-giving deficits, parental mental illness, death of a parent, disasters, and family breakup
Protective factor
A personal or situational variable that mitigates a child developing a disorder.
E.g.: Resilience
Resilience
The ability to fight off or recover from misfortune
- Associated with strong self-confidence, coping skills, avoiding risk situations
- Connected to a “protective triad” of resources:
~Strength of the child
~Strength of the family
~Strength of the school/community
These children usually have:
- Strong self-confidence
- Coping skills
- Ability to avoid risky situations
- Ability to fight off or recover from misfortune.
According to North American research, one in eight children has a mental health problem.
- Many others are at risk for later development of a psychological disorder.
- Mental health problems in childhood and adolescence are highly predictive of adult disorders
The majority of children needing mental health services do not receive them
Fewer than 10% receive proper services
Mental health problems are more likely to occur in children
- From disadvantaged families
- From abusive or neglectful families
- Receiving inadequate child care
- Born with very low birth weight
- Whose parents have a mental illness or substance abuse problems
What Affects Rates and Expression of Mental Disorders?
- New pressures and social changes may place children at increased risk for development of the disorder
- Environmental stressors may:
~Act as nonspecific stressors - bring about poor adaptation or the onset of a disorder
~Affect the extent to which a child’s problems are attenuated or exacerbated
The Influence of Poverty
Poverty is associated with:
- Impairments in learning ability and school achievement - less education and low-paying jobs
- inadequate health care
- single-parent status
- poor nutrition and exposure to violence
Externalizing Problems
Higher in boys than girls in preschool and early elementary years
- Exhibited as acting-out behaviors, e.g., aggression and delinquency
Internalizing Problems
Higher rates among girls
Associated with:
- Anxiety, depression, or withdrawn behavior
- Somatic complaints
- Eating disorders
- Emotional disorders with a peak age of onset in adolescence
Sex Differences and Resilience
For boys:
- A male role model
- Structure and rules
- Encouragement of emotional expressiveness
For girls:
- Households that combine risk-taking and independence with support from a female caregiver
Racial and Ethnic Minorities
- Most cultural anthropologists see race as a socially constructed concept, not biological.
- Minority children in the U.S. are overrepresented in rates of some disorders
~ Substance abuse, delinquency, and teen suicide
The Effects of Race and Ethnicity
- other effects (SES, gender, age, referral status) few differences emerge in relation to race or ethnicity
- Minority children face multiple disadvantages, including poverty and marginalization.
~ Barrier to access remain a significant factor in the quality of care and treatment outcomes.
Cultural Issues
- Values, beliefs, and practices that characterize a particular ethnocultural group contribute to the development and expression of children’s disorders.
~ Affect how people/institutions react to children’s problems
~Affect how problems are expressed
~Children express their problems differently across cultures
Culture and Diversity
- Important not to generalize research from one culture to another.
- Social and cultural beliefs and values influence:
~ The meaning is given to behaviors
~ The way in which behaviors are responded to
~ The forms of expression and their outcomes
Special Issues Concerning Adolescents and Sexual Minority Youths
- Early- to mid-adolescence is an important transitional period for healthy adjustment.
- Issues during adolescence
~ Substance use, risky sexual behavior, violence, accidental injuries, and mental health problems - Special needs and problems of adolescents are receiving greater attention
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) Youths
- LGBT youths are more likely to be victimized by their peers and family members.
- LGBT youths have higher rates of mental health problems.
Lifespan Implications
- The 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.
Solutions for Lifespan Implications
- Children can overcome major obstacles
~ When provided with circumstances and opportunities that promote healthy adaptation and competence - Major initiatives for prevention and intervention have resulted from the recognition of children’s mental health problems
Boys
- Hyperactivity
- Autism
- Disruptive behavior
- Learning &Communication disorders
- Childhood Depression
Girls
- Anxiety Disorders
- Adolescent Depression
- Eating Disorders
Marginalization
minority facing multiple disadvantages such as poverty and exclusion from society benefits.
At Individual level
Good intellectual functioning, Sociable, easygoing, self-confidence, talents, and faith.
At Family level
A close relationship with caring parents, socioeconomic advantage, authoritative parenting who are warm, structured and have high expectations, connection to extended family support.
At school and community level
an adult outside the family who has an interest in promoting the child’s welfare, connections to social and religious organizations
