Psychopathology is the study of mental illness. It includes the signs and symptoms of all mental disorders. The field includes abnormal cognition,maladaptive behavior,and experiences which differ according to social norms. This discipline is an in-depth look into symptoms,behaviors,causes,course,development,categorization,treatments,strategies,and more.
The diathesis-stress model,also known as the vulnerability–stress model,is a psychological theory that attempts to explain a disorder,or its trajectory,as the result of an interaction between a predispositional vulnerability,the diathesis,and stress caused by life experiences. The term diathesis derives from the Greek term (διάθεσις) for a predisposition or sensibility. A diathesis can take the form of genetic,psychological,biological,or situational factors. A large range of differences exists among individuals' vulnerabilities to the development of a disorder.
Child psychopathology refers to the scientific study of mental disorders in children and adolescents. Oppositional defiant disorder,attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,and autism spectrum disorder are examples of psychopathology that are typically first diagnosed during childhood. Mental health providers who work with children and adolescents are informed by research in developmental psychology,clinical child psychology,and family systems. Lists of child and adult mental disorders can be found in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems,10th Edition (ICD-10),published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fifth Edition (DSM-5),published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). In addition,the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood is used in assessing mental health and developmental disorders in children up to age five.
The Institute of Psychiatry,Psychology &Neuroscience (IoPPN) is a centre for mental health and neuroscience research,education and training in Europe. It is dedicated to understanding,preventing and treating mental illness,neurological conditions,and other conditions that affect the brain. The IoPPN is a faculty of King's College London,England,and was previously known as the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP).
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder is a stress-related mental disorder generally occurring in response to complex traumas,i.e.,commonly prolonged or repetitive exposures to a series of traumatic events,within which individuals perceive little or no chance to escape.
Allan N. Schore is an American psychologist and researcher in the field of neuropsychology.
Childhood trauma is often described as serious adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Children may go through a range of experiences that classify as psychological trauma;these might include neglect,abandonment,sexual abuse,emotional abuse,and physical abuse,witnessing abuse of a sibling or parent,or having a mentally ill parent. These events have profound psychological,physiological,and sociological impacts and can have negative,lasting effects on health and well-being such as unsocial behaviors,attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),and sleep disturbances. Similarly,children whose mothers have experienced traumatic or stressful events during pregnancy have an increased risk of mental health disorders and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Memory and trauma is the deleterious effects that physical or psychological trauma has on memory.
Charles H. Zeanah Jr. is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who is a member of the council (Board) of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).
The Anna Freud Centre is a child mental health research,training and treatment charity based in London,United Kingdom. The Centre aims to transform mental health provision in the UK by improving the quality,accessibility and effectiveness of treatment,bringing together leaders in neuroscience,mental health,social care and education. It is closely associated with University College London (UCL) and Yale University. The Princess of Wales is its royal patron. The chair of trustees is the philanthropist Michael Samuel MBE and the chief executive is Peter Fonagy OBE.
Daniel S. Schechter is an American and Swiss psychiatrist known for his clinical work and research on intergenerational transmission or "communication" of violent trauma and related psychopathology involving parents and very young children. His published work in this area following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York of September 11,2001 led to a co-edited book entitled "September 11:Trauma and Human Bonds" (2003) and additional original articles with clinical psychologist Susan Coates that were translated into multiple languages and remain among the first accounts of 9/11 related loss and trauma described by mental health professionals who also experienced the attacks and their aftermath Schechter observed that separation anxiety among infants and young children who had either lost or feared loss of their caregivers triggered posttraumatic stress symptoms in the surviving caregivers. These observations validated his prior work on the adverse impact of family violence on the early parent-child relationship,formative social-emotional development and related attachment disturbances involving mutual dysregulation of emotion and arousal. This body of work on trauma and attachment has been cited by prominent authors in the attachment theory,psychological trauma,developmental psychobiology and neuroscience literatures
Callous-unemotional traits (CU) are distinguished by a persistent pattern of behavior that reflects a disregard for others,and also a lack of empathy and generally deficient affect. The interplay between genetic and environmental risk factors may play a role in the expression of these traits as a conduct disorder (CD). While originally conceived as a means of measuring the affective features of psychopathy in children,measures of CU have been validated in university samples and adults.
Dante Cicchetti is a developmental psychologist and developmental psychopathology scientist specializing in high-risk and disenfranchised populations,including maltreated children and offspring of depressed parents. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School and in the Institute of Child Development. He is the McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair and the William Harris Endowed Chair.
Essi Maria Viding FBA FMedSci is Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at University College London in the Faculty of Brain Sciences,where she co-directs the Developmental Risk and Resilience Unit,and an associate of King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry,Psychology and Neuroscience. Viding's research focuses on development of disruptive behaviour disorders,as well as children and young people's mental health problems more broadly. She uses cognitive experimental measures,brain imaging and genetically informative study designs in her work.
Andrew J. Gerber is an American psychoanalyst and the current president and medical director of Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan,Connecticut. His principal interests and research lie in studying the neurobiological bases of social cognition,particularly in relation to autism spectrum disorders and change in response to psychotherapy. He is a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,American Psychiatric Association,American Psychoanalytic Association and the Psychoanalytic Psychodynamic Research Society.
Early childhood trauma refers to various types of adversity and traumatic events experienced during the early years of a person's life. This is deemed the most critical developmental period in human life by psychologists. A critical period refers to a sensitive time during the early years of childhood in which children may be more vulnerable to be affected by environmental stimulation. These traumatic events can include serious illness,natural disasters,family violence,sudden separation from a family member,being the victim of abuse,or suffering the loss of a loved one. Traumatic experiences in early childhood can result in severe consequences throughout adulthood,for instance developing post-traumatic stress disorder,depression,or anxiety. The effects of this trauma can be experienced very differently depending on factors such as how long the trauma was,how severe and even the age of the child when it occurred. Negative childhood experiences can have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration,and lifelong health and opportunity. However,not all children who are exposed to negative stimuli in early childhood will be affected severely in later life;some children come out unscathed after being faced with traumatic events,which is known as resilience. Many factors can account for the invulnerability displayed by certain children in response to adverse social conditions:gender,vulnerability,social support systems,and innate character traits. Much of the research in this area has referred to the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE) study. The ACE study found several protective factors against developing mental health disorders,including mother-child relations,parental health,and community support. However,having adverse childhood experiences creates long-lasting impacts on psychosocial functioning,such as a heightened awareness of environmental threats,feelings of loneliness,and cognitive deficits. Individuals with ACEs are more prone to developing severe symptoms than individuals in the same diagnostic category.
Stephen P. Hinshaw is an American psychologist whose contributions lie in the areas of developmental psychopathology and combating the stigma that surrounds mental illness. He has authored more than 325 scientific articles and chapters as well as 14 authored and edited books. Currently,he is Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California,Berkeley,and Professor In Residence and Vice Chair for Child and Adolescent Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California,San Francisco. His work focuses on child and adolescent mental disorders,clinical interventions,mechanisms of change in psychopathology,and stigma prevention efforts,with a specialization in ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Jonathan S. Comer. is an American psychologist who is a Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Florida International University. He is currently the director of an interdisciplinary clinical research program called the Mental health Interventions and Novel Therapeutics (MINT) Program. The MINT program focuses on improving the quality,scope,and accessibility of mental health care. Comer also serves as director of the Network for Enhancing Wellness in Disaster-Affected Youth,a SAMHSA-funded program in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) that provides trauma-informed training and consultation to youth-serving professionals in disaster-prone and disaster-hit regions. Comer is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a leader in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology. The author of over 250 scientific papers and chapters,he has received early career awards from the American Psychological Association,the Association for Psychological Science,and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies for his work. His research has been funded by federal agencies and by several private foundations and non-profit organizations. He has also received funding from the Andrew Kukes Foundation for Social Anxiety.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include childhood emotional,physical,or sexual abuse and household dysfunction during childhood. The categories are verbal abuse,physical abuse,contact sexual abuse,a battered mother/father,household substance abuse,household mental illness,incarcerated household members,and parental separation or divorce. The experiences chosen were based upon prior research that has shown to them to have significant negative health or social implications,and for which substantial efforts are being made in the public and private sector to reduce their frequency of occurrence. Scientific evidence is mounting that such adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a profound long-term effect on health. Research shows that exposure to abuse and to serious forms of family dysfunction in the childhood family environment are likely to activate the stress response,thus potentially disrupting the developing nervous,immune,and metabolic systems of children. ACEs are associated with lifelong physical and mental health problems that emerge in adolescence and persist into adulthood,including cardiovascular disease,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,autoimmune diseases,substance abuse,and depression.
The influence of childhood trauma on the development of psychopathy in adulthood remains an active research question. According to Hervey M. Cleckley,a psychopathic person is someone who is able to imitate a normal functioning person,while masking or concealing their lack of internal personality structure. This results in an internal disorder with recurrent deliberate and detrimental conduct. Despite presenting themselves as serious,bright,and charming,psychopathic people are unable to experience true emotions. Robert Hare's two factor model and Christopher Patrick's triarchic model have both been developed to better understand psychopathy;however,whether the root cause is primarily environmental or primarily genetic is still in question.
