A comprehensive work on the nature, causes and assessment and treatment of child psychopathology, this textbook is geared toward the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate student. It provides reviews of critical areas in abnormal child psychology. Balancing both theory and treatment, and relying primarily on the empirical literature, this updated edition incorporates both psychological and biological determinants and strategies. Chapter authors have used structural formats which facilitate the text's readability and usefulness.
The first section of the text provides an overview of advanced abnormal child psychology, outlining the contributions from a variety of directions including: historical developments, essentially documenting both the neglect and abuse that children suffered at the hands of society, well into the 20th century; developmental psychopathology as a theoretical framework to guide research and clinical efforts; psychophysiological determinants of behaviour, with special attention focused on childhood autism, and attention deficit and antisocial conduct disorders; and theoretical, methodological and practical considerations involved in determining investigatory paths including sampling, design selection, measurement, data analysis and pragmatics. The second section addresses assessment and treatment issues in abnormal child behaviour. Coverage includes: behavioural treatment of childhood disorders and multiple case examples of commonly used techniques; new developments in pharmacological treatment and sound guidelines for the consideration of pharmacotherapy; and community prevention techniques including an examination of theoretical formulations and a review of preventive interventions.
The final section examines specific disorders of childhood and adolescence as follows: anxiety disorders, affective and mood disorders, mental retardation, autism, specific developmental disorders, conduct disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders; psychological aspects of paediatric disorders - interventions tailored to the needs of the child and family to maximize adaptation and recovery; and substance use disorders - ranging from models emphasizing social influences to those focusing on biological vulnerabilities.