Normal and Abnormal Behavior in Children

Introduction to Normal and Abnormal Behavior in Children and Adolescents

• Psychological disorder- a pattern of symptoms associated with distress, disability, or increased risk of suffering.
• Historically, children often received harsh treatment due to beliefs about possession or being the property of their parents.
• John Locke (17th century) advocated for raising children with care.
• Early biological explanations viewed mental disorders as diseases, resistant to treatment.
• The custodial model (early 20th century) involved sterilization and institutionalization.
• Early psychological attributions emerged in the early 1900s, linking mental disorders to childhood experiences (psychoanalytic theory) and conditioning (behaviorism).
• Institutionalization was common until the 1940s.
• Spitz's research (mid-1940s) revealed the harm of institutionalization on children's development.
• Institutionalization declined, replaced by foster care and group homes in the following decades
• Behavior therapy (1950s-1960s) emerged as a systematic approach.
• Legislation like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated appropriate education for children with special needs.
• Culturally appropriate tests and individualized education plans (IEPs) are now standard.

What is Abnormal Behavior in Children and Adolescents?

• Psychological disorders are patterns of behavior, emotion, or physical symptoms causing distress and/or disability.
• Competence describes the ability to successfully adapt within the environment, varying across cultures.
• Developmental pathways illustrate the sequence and timing of behaviors, noting relationships between behaviors over time (multifinality and equifinality). Several factors contribute to the development of disordered outcomes in children.
• Risk factors increase the probability of negative outcomes (e.g., community violence, parental divorce, poverty).
• Protective factors reduce the likelihood of disorder (e.g., strong self-confidence, coping skills).
• Resilience is not a fixed attribute, varies with stress, context, and individual factors.

Mental Health Issues in Children and Adolescents

• Limited access to services and lack of understanding of mental disorders are reasons why many children don't receive mental health services.
• There's an expected increase in demand for these services in the near future but not enough professionals.
• Children from disadvantaged backgrounds face a higher risk.
• Poverty affects children's learning, behavior, health, and emotional development.

What Affects Rates and Expression of Mental Disorders?

• Factors such as poverty, ethnicity, and socioeconomic disadvantage significantly impact mental health rates.
• Poverty is linked to increased rates of learning impairments, problems in school, aggression, chronic illness, and emotional disorders.

Child Maltreatment and Non-Accidental Trauma

• Over one million cases of child maltreatment are reported annually in the US.
• Child maltreatment significantly affects children's social, academic, and behavioral adjustment.
• Sexual and gender minority youths face disproportionately high rates of maltreatment.

Lifespan Implications, Key Terms and Concepts

• A substantial portion of children will experience significant challenges throughout their lives.
• Early intervention and support can help children overcome major impediments to healthy development.

Theories and Causes

• An integrative approach considers many factors influencing childhood disorders (biological, psychological, and environmental).
• Developmental psychopathology emphasizes the role of developmental processes, genetics, neuroanatomy, and maturation in influencing behavior.

Treatment

• Treatment involves diagnosis, prognosis, and planning, utilizing various interventions like pharmacological and behavioral approaches.
• Effective treatments may consider the impact of culture and specific characteristics of families and communities.
• Interventions can address current problems while preventing future issues.

Clinical Issues

• Clinical assessment aims to differentiate, define and measure behaviors, cognitions, and emotions, including environmental impact.
• Developmental considerations regarding age, gender, and cultural factors are critical in clinical assessments and treatment.

Assessing Disorders

• Clinical interviews and standardized assessments help in gathering detailed information relevant to clinical problems and concerns.
• Behavioral assessment focuses directly observing behavior in natural settings and examining antecedents, behaviors and consequences.

Classification and Diagnosis

• Classification system (DSM-5) provides categories for child psychopathology, which are important to understand the boundaries and relations.
• Diagnosis assigns cases to these categories.