Developmental Psychopathology
Lectures
Lecture 1
Introduction to Developmental Psychopathology
Defining Disordered Behaviour (normal or abnormal)
Developmental norms: descriptions of typical rage or typical sequences in developmental
behaviour over time
DEVELOPMENTAL NORMS
CULTURAL NORMS
Diagnostic Criteria
Argue with authority figures / parents
GENDER NORMS
Girls: passive, emotional, dependent, quiet
Boys: dominant, aggressive, active
(Cultural norms and gender norms interact)
SITUATIONAL NORMS
Context, expectations
ROLE OF ADULTS
Different perspectives, expectations
Concerns
,CHANGING VIEWS OF ABNORMALITY
Homosexuality
Biting nails
Masturbation
HARM INTERFERENCE
Behaviour creates problems for child, or other around
Interfere with everyday functioning
Classification of Abnormal Behaviour
- Clinical approach
- Empirical approach
CLINICAL APPROACH
DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorder (american psychiatric
association)
- Dominant
ICD: International statistical Classification of Diseases and mental health problems (world
health organization)
Classification
Problematic behaviour ‘exists’ when:
- Clusters of symptoms
- Symptoms are persistent / recurrent / intense / excessive / unreasonable
- Symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in major life areas
Key Characteristics
- Clinician-derived (make final decision)
- Categorical (either you have it or you don’t)
- Commonly used
- Changing conceptualization of disorders in young people (eg. DSM-IV to DSM 5)
Criticism
- Overdiagnosing behaviour (broad definitions)
- Lacking clear evidence of validity (disorders co-occur, distinct?)
- Lacking clear decision rules (“nearly everyday”? - vague)
- Reifying disorder (abstract, making diagnosis out of symptoms, doesn’t exist?)
- De-emphasizing context (different factors)
- De-emphasizing developmental differences (adults)
, EMPIRICAL APPROACH
Key Characteristics
- Research derived / statistics (analyses, symptoms)
- Syndromes (broadband and narrowband)
- Dimensional (quantitative differences) (to a certain extent)
- Use data from normative samples (comparative)
Investigating Causation + Exploring Pathways of Development
Investigating Causation
- Systems framework
- Risk and protective factors
- Moderation and mediation
- Direct and indirect influences
Developmental psychopathology is a systems framework
- Bio-psycho-social model
Contributing Factors and Processes: Bio-psycho-social Model
● Biological
- Genetic processes
- pre/peri/post-natal CNS damage
- Temperament
● Psychological
- Learning experience
- Cognitive process
- Emotion regulation
- Executive functioning
● Sociocultural
- Family context
- Peer context
- Community and societal contexts
Both risk and protective factors should be considered to understand development of
psychopathology
- Risk factors increase likelihood of developing psychopathology
- Protective factors decrease likelihood of developing psychopathology
- Resilience: don’t develop psychopathology despite the presence of certain risk
factors
Lectures
Lecture 1
Introduction to Developmental Psychopathology
Defining Disordered Behaviour (normal or abnormal)
Developmental norms: descriptions of typical rage or typical sequences in developmental
behaviour over time
DEVELOPMENTAL NORMS
CULTURAL NORMS
Diagnostic Criteria
Argue with authority figures / parents
GENDER NORMS
Girls: passive, emotional, dependent, quiet
Boys: dominant, aggressive, active
(Cultural norms and gender norms interact)
SITUATIONAL NORMS
Context, expectations
ROLE OF ADULTS
Different perspectives, expectations
Concerns
,CHANGING VIEWS OF ABNORMALITY
Homosexuality
Biting nails
Masturbation
HARM INTERFERENCE
Behaviour creates problems for child, or other around
Interfere with everyday functioning
Classification of Abnormal Behaviour
- Clinical approach
- Empirical approach
CLINICAL APPROACH
DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorder (american psychiatric
association)
- Dominant
ICD: International statistical Classification of Diseases and mental health problems (world
health organization)
Classification
Problematic behaviour ‘exists’ when:
- Clusters of symptoms
- Symptoms are persistent / recurrent / intense / excessive / unreasonable
- Symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in major life areas
Key Characteristics
- Clinician-derived (make final decision)
- Categorical (either you have it or you don’t)
- Commonly used
- Changing conceptualization of disorders in young people (eg. DSM-IV to DSM 5)
Criticism
- Overdiagnosing behaviour (broad definitions)
- Lacking clear evidence of validity (disorders co-occur, distinct?)
- Lacking clear decision rules (“nearly everyday”? - vague)
- Reifying disorder (abstract, making diagnosis out of symptoms, doesn’t exist?)
- De-emphasizing context (different factors)
- De-emphasizing developmental differences (adults)
, EMPIRICAL APPROACH
Key Characteristics
- Research derived / statistics (analyses, symptoms)
- Syndromes (broadband and narrowband)
- Dimensional (quantitative differences) (to a certain extent)
- Use data from normative samples (comparative)
Investigating Causation + Exploring Pathways of Development
Investigating Causation
- Systems framework
- Risk and protective factors
- Moderation and mediation
- Direct and indirect influences
Developmental psychopathology is a systems framework
- Bio-psycho-social model
Contributing Factors and Processes: Bio-psycho-social Model
● Biological
- Genetic processes
- pre/peri/post-natal CNS damage
- Temperament
● Psychological
- Learning experience
- Cognitive process
- Emotion regulation
- Executive functioning
● Sociocultural
- Family context
- Peer context
- Community and societal contexts
Both risk and protective factors should be considered to understand development of
psychopathology
- Risk factors increase likelihood of developing psychopathology
- Protective factors decrease likelihood of developing psychopathology
- Resilience: don’t develop psychopathology despite the presence of certain risk
factors
