Abnormal Child Psychology Research

• Research in abnormal child psychology seeks to define normal and abnormal behavior across ages, sexes, and ethnic/cultural backgrounds
• Research also aims to identify causes/correlates, predict long-term outcomes, and develop/evaluate treatments and prevention methods

Understanding Children's Problems

• A first step involves describing the presenting problems and their potential harm or impairment
• Children's entry into mental health services often occurs due to adult concerns (parents, teachers), with the child having little say
• Children rarely self-refer for treatment
• Many childhood problems involve a failure to demonstrate expected developmental progress
• Problem behaviors in children are not entirely abnormal; most children exhibit certain problem behaviors sometimes
• Interventions for children often aim for further development, unlike adults where it focuses on restoring previous functioning

Historical Views and Breakthroughs

• Historically, children with special needs were forced into labor.
• Consistent social sensitivity and awareness for children's needs were lacking before the 20th century
• Children must be recognized as valuable for aiding their development
• Encouraging children's progress has not been a priority for previous societies
• Children were viewed as servants of the state in early Greece
• Ancient societies scorned or killed those with disabilities due to economic and social burdens
• Mental health issues in children weren't discussed much before the late 18th century
• The church attributed unusual behaviors to the child's uncivilized nature or demonic possession
• Non-religious explanations for disordered behavior were not given serious consideration.
• During the 17th and 18th centuries 2/3 of children died before age 5, often due to lack of treatment
• Children were often treated harshly or with indifference

Societal Views

• Cruel treatment and neglect of children were often ignored.
• The implied view was that children are the exclusive property of their parents
• The "Stubborn Child Act" in Massachusetts allowed parents to put "stubborn" children to death; children with disabilities were kept in cages into the mid-1800s

Early Psychological Attributions

• Balance biological influences with developmental and cultural factors (family, peers, school) to understand abnormal psychology
• The medically based view that abnormal behavior is a disorder residing within the person neglected surroundings
• Psychological influences emerged in the 20th century, emphasizing psychological disorders and illness classification
• Attempts to recognize a range of mental health needs risked neglecting those with severe disorders
• This shift promoted diagnostic categories, new offenses, deviant behavior descriptions, and monitoring procedures

Theoretical Paradigms

• Psychoanalytic theory
• Behaviorism have helped to shape current understanding

Psychoanalytic theory

• Child psychiatrists were initially pessimistic about treating childhood disorders
• Sigmund Freud posited childhood experiences as the root of mental disorders.
• Freud believed inborn drives and experiences play role in psychopathology.
• Viewing mental disorders as no longer inevitable was a turning point for treating children
• The psychoanalytic theory influenced advances in understanding the causes and treatment of mental disorders
• Freud linked mental disorders to childhood experiences
• The psychoanalytic theory emphasizes multiple roots for personality/mental health and the interaction of developmental/situational processes
• Anna Freud expanded Sigmund's ideas to children symptoms more related to developmental stages than adults

Behaviorism

• Behaviorism, emerged in the early 1900s, led to evidence-based treatments for children and families
• John Watson sought to explain Freud's ideas scientifically, using classical conditioning
• Watson attempted to explain concepts such as unconscious and transference using language of conditioned emotional responses
• Watson pioneered scientific investigation of some of Freud's ideas

"Little Albert" experiment

• Watson sought to demonstrate that fear could be conditioned in a baby
• Watson conditioned fear in an 11-month-old baby (Albert B), in response to a white rat
• The experiment eventually conditioned the child to fear the rat, and later other animals
• The "Little Albert" study illustrates the importance of considering any new advances in context
• Psychoanalytic theory has waned in influence due to the rise of the phenomenological approach
• The current nosologies that classify psychiatric disorders into descriptive categories are essentially non-developmental in their approaches
• The Freudian approach aims to describe disease development, while nosologies find common monitors of a disorder at any stage
• Emphasizing the interconnection between children's development remains attractive for understanding abnormal child psychology

Evolving Treatment Forms

• 1930-1950 was a quiet period for research and treatment in abnormal child psychology
• A few reports described behavioral treatment of isolated problems
• Psychodynamic approaches were dominant during this period
• Most children with intellectual or mental disorders were still institutionalized then
• This practice came under criticism in the late 1940s, with studies by Rene Spitz
• The studies raised questions about the harmful impact of the institutional life on children's growth and development.
• Found that infants without physical contact with adults and proper stimulation develop severe emotional and physical problems
• Institutions were shut down and dependent children ended up in foster care
• From 1945-1965 the number of children declined from institutions, while rising rapidly in group and foster homes
• In the early 1950’s behavior therapy stemmed to be the major source to treat children and family disorders originally in laboratory settings
• These techniques created to adjust behaviors were in line with the dominant psychoanylitic traditions
• Psychoanalytic methods = resolving internal issues and emotional intentions
• Behavior therapy focused on children with disabilities
• Psychoanalytic practices in these cases were seen as wrong
• Institutions and classrooms gave an environmental setting that was thought to assist with behaving better

Progressive Legislation

• Various laws over the past decades protect rights of those with disabilities
• In the US the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)" mandates free public education, assessments, and also IEP plans
• Similar legislation for protecting the rights of children with disabilities exist in Canada and the UK as well
• In 2007, the UN adopted a convention to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
• Addressing the "special needs" turned into realizing their rights and removing any constraints

Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• The convention ensures all children with disabilities enjoy human rights and freedoms on an equal basis
• The best interest of the child is a consideration
• Children are to be able to express their opinions
• Children are to be getting help that is appropriate

Abnormal Behaviour

• Childhood disorders have many abnormal behaviors ranging from alarming, subtle, and hidden
• Understanding strengths and abilities of children can lead to helpful adaptations
• To judge if behavior is abnormal, one needs to be mindful and consider unique coping methods

2.1 Defining Psychological Disorders:

• A psychological disorder defined as displaying emotional or physical behavior is only shown by an individual
• Its usually associated with one or more prominent features of distress, and actions which interfere or have limits like daily functioning
• Such distress and disability increase danger or harm, like potential death or loss of freedom
• Psychological help excludes where the reactions are expected or appropriate due to culture
• Terms describe behavior, not people
• Terms used to describe behavior does not portray an individual, but only says what type of behavior happens
• Goal = stay away from using terms like “anxious child” or "autistic child"
• Child and adult mental health faces stigmas often.
• Stigma = negative feelings or anger that can motivate fear, rejection, or disagreement
• This leads to others that are prejudices , mostly in the basis of: race, ethnicity, disabilities sexual orientation, body size
• Persons with disorders may experience:
• Low self esteem
• Isolation
• Loss of hope
• Conceal symptoms from others
• Some children adapt to bad environments or feelings as a result Terms helps the user in defining status for both children and adolescents

Factors to Consider

• Clinicians must research in describing, organizing, and showing features of behavioral patterns
• Terms don't imply common sense, the causes are likely multifaceted
• Abnormal child behavior contains components of a child's competence
• Competence = ability to successfully adapt in their environment
• Developmental competence is represented in a child's skill to achieve an adaptation
• Adaptation varies across cultures
• Many children face problems in efforts to adapt to their environment, like minority children
• It's needed to judge someone by the difference they are compared to a normal, also one should understand the child's cultural and development journey
• abnormal child psychology: considers a child's maladaptive behavior and the extent of achieving developmental tasks
• Developmental tasks = competencies like academic achievement
• Its how children progress
• Having knowledge is beneficial in considering a child/adolescent's journey in development

Age Period, Task and Conduct

• Infancy to preschool, attachment to caregivers, language and differentiation of self
• Middle childhood, school and self control
• Adolescence, involving extracurricular activities

Aspects of judging deviancy

• Deciding if a concerning issue is becoming an issue is important, its needed to distinguish it from normal
• Be sensitive during early childhood, also distinguish between normal adaptation
• Developmental pathway = sequence and timing of behavior over time
• It allows how development is dynamic to different outcomes
• Multifinality = early childhood maltreatment can lead to conduct/ eating disorders with no adjustment
• Maltreatment can cause changes down the line results in conduct or eating disorders
• Equifinality = similar outcome from different factors- ( genetic patterns/ characteristics can lead to a problem

The main assumptions

• Many factors in individuals, the contributors vary from person to person
• Individuals express their disturbances in different ways, and the pathways are complex
• A risk factor means that a variable that creates a negative effect in the chances

Risks Associated with Psychopathology

• Chronic poverty, mental illnesses, homelessness or prejudice are all factors in play, and adversity effects children's risk factors
• Children face psychopathology if they lack strengths due to external factors
• A factor which decreases chances of a child to have a disorder is a protective factor
• Vulnerable children end up developing the disorder
• Some children also use self esteem to survive the harmful environment
• Resilient children can avoid harmful situations
• Resiliency is the ability to strive when facing these risky environments
• They show competence over time in stressful environment or bouncing back with level competence
• Children deal with various stressors based on situations
• resilience is more than a one directional line
• Personal strength helps resist external effects

Risk Factors

• Pressure effects children at a young age
• Some historical stressors = poverty, disruption of family
• Some recent stressors = homelessness, children with immigrant behavior
• Medical advances can have a effect towards them
• Some issues can have bad progression if it continues

Factors Affecting Mental Disorder Rates

• Poverty, race, trauma will increase cases
• The background of most mental health effects, and violence affect ones well being
• Economic decline relates to less income
• Impairments can be due due to prefrontal cortex development and unequal social aspects
• Being underprivileged doesn’t mean the high rates that cause it
• Economic situation correlates with children's adjustment due to influences
• City youths develop PTSD from cognitive delays that stop learning

Difference in Gender/Sex

• Boys and girls express behavioral health differently
• Hyperactivity, autism, and learning communication disorders, and disruptive behaviors are mostly common in boys
• Anxiety and Depression more common with girls
• We don’t understand the reasons behind the differences: reporting biases, definitions, and expressions within the disorder
• Sex is negligent under 3 but increases over time
• Girls more emotional in adolescence, and boys disorders early on that affect their minds
• Boys often reading disorders
• Boys externalize problems, early preschool declines with old age Girls internalize, girls and boys become similar
• Girls show resilience, households in a safe environment

Race and Ethnicity

• Race = social structured concept
• Factors due to race has low behavior
• Children overrepresent in suicide, abuse, drug usage. After effects, few emerge, minority groups actually show lower psychopathology with SES
• Minority children face disadvantages, excluded form benefits
• This exclusion can cause alienation, and loss of stability
• Personal support is needed to resist effects

Culture

• Values creates behaviors
• Meaning of children is impacted by culture
• Cultural influences means that you can’t use information from another region for your abnormal behaviors
• Disorders can be difficult with strong issues
• Culture impacts values of them. (Expression or what their outcomes can be)

Additional Factors

• Children and adolescents are neglected and abused.
• Children report assault during adolescence.
• Children exposed at home are affected
• Youths show stress and reliance on substances. These can ruin someones life

Adolescents

• It's transitional so you have to be careful
• Main issues:
• Substance
• Sexual
• Violence
• Mental health

Gender and Sexuality

• More death rates in adults due to behaviors
• Late childhood is tough due to LGBT as well, and biased issues causes adolescents to make it more difficult
• LGBT youth often get hurt by families, reports of bullying occur
• Have higher rate rates like, depression, abuse

LifeSpan implications

• Impact is only bad when not maintained correctly
• If problems not addressed, one won't progress and children can overcome it. If they learn and are healthy