Developmental Psychopathology Approach Research Articles

Acculturation and Psychopathology.

Acculturation and psychopathology are linked in integrated, interactional, intersectional, and dynamic ways that span different types of intercultural contact, levels of analysis, timescales, and contexts. A developmental psychopathology approach can be useful to explain why, how, and what about psychological acculturation results in later adaptation or maladaptation for acculturating youth and adults. This review applies a conceptual model of acculturation and developmental psychopathology to a widely used framework of acculturation variables producing an Integrated Process Framework of Acculturation Variables (IP-FAV). This new comprehensive framework depicts major predisposing acculturation conditions (why) as well as acculturation orientations and processes (how) that result in adaptation and maladaptation across the life span (what). The IP-FAV is unique in that it integrates both proximal and remote acculturation variables and explicates key acculturation processes to inform research, practice, and policy.

The developmental psychopathology ofdetection and dual control - a commentary onFoxet al. (2023).

Behavioral inhibition in early life is among the robust predictors of later anxiety problems, particularly social anxiety, one of the most pressing mental health concerns across the lifespan. However, the predictive relation is far from perfect. Fox et al. reviewed the literature and their Detection and Dual Control framework to emphasize the role of moderators in the etiology of social anxiety. In doing so, they exemplify a developmental psychopathology approach. This commentary aligns the core features of Fox et al.'s review and theoretical model with specific tenets of developmental psychopathology. These tenets provide a structure for integrating the Detection and Dual Control framework with other developmental psychopathology models and guiding future directions for the field.

Advantages of a Developmental Psychopathology Approach to Studying the Antecedents of Physical Health.

Although the field of developmental psychopathology has traditionally focused on mental health, there has been increasing interest in exploring how psychological and developmental factors are associated with physical health. I argue that the principles of developmental psychopathology may be particularly useful for understanding physical health across development. I discuss how researchers can apply the following developmental psychopathology principles to the study of physical health: 1) dimensional measurement of stress exposure, 2) the multifaceted nature of risk and resilience, 3) focus on processes and pathways, and 4) lifespan development and intergenerational effects. I provide several future directions and considerations for work in this area, many of which are consistent with the new goals of Infant and Child Development.

Chapter 7 - Resilience

Individuals who face significant adversity are typically able to resume normal functioning despite this hardship. Resilience is a dynamic process at any level of functioning that encompasses the capacity by which these individuals adapt positively following adversity. Resilience science aims to elucidate the mechanisms of successful adaption following adverse situations, allowing researchers to better understand why some individuals adapt better than others. In the present chapter we synthesize literature on biologic systems and their resilient functioning, including neurobiologic, hormonal, and genetic aspects of resilience. Utilizing a developmental psychopathology approach, we emphasize the importance of taking an integrative, multiple systems perspective when examining resilient functioning by incorporating biologic and psychosocial systems and the necessity for collaboration among researchers from a variety of disciplines. Finally, we discuss the application of resilience science and how these results can be integrated into intervention efforts aimed to promote resilient functioning in individuals.

Developmental Psychopathology Approach in Addiction Diagnosis in Adolescence

In order to provide multilevel potential explanations for the co-occurrence of addiction disorders and their developmental complex influence, developmental psychopathology has been considered to be an integrative perspective in re-search and in clinical treatment. This paper examined developmental psycho-pathology approach in addiction diagnosis and treatment. There is an historical and informative perspective that discusses two issues. The former is connected with the antecedents of addiction diagnosis. The latter parts of the article refer to the principles of developmental psychopathology and studies carried out in this field. In conclusion, the value of this perspective in diagnostic deci-sion-making processes in adolescents is also discussed.

The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence Exposure in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Developmental Psychopathology Approach

Despite increased attention on parental intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure, a relative paucity of research has examined the developmental consequences of this traumatic experience within a life span approach. The aim of the present study was to examine how parental IPV exposure may relate to mental health during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Furthermore, we examined whether the impact of parental IPV exposure was unique from more commonly studied maltreatment experiences, specifically neglect and physical abuse. A large, racially and ethnically diverse sample (Nbaseline = 1,042; 56% female; Mage = 15.1, SD = 0.79; 31.4% Hispanic, 29.4% White, 27.9% African American, 3.6% Asian, 7.7% biracial or other) of adolescents completed a baseline assessment for parental physical IPV exposure and maltreatment as well as measures for symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress, and substance use, annually for 6 consecutive years. Mixed-level modeling was used to examine how parental IPV exposure was uniquely associated with different patterns of mental health across developmental epochs. Findings demonstrated a multifaceted relation with mental health. For internalizing symptoms, the effect was pronounced during adolescence, and neglect increased the risk for depression symptomatology. Meanwhile, parental-IPV-exposed adolescents were at increasing risk for substance use as they aged into adulthood. Symptom levels and trajectories were independent and distinct from maltreatment experiences. This study helps illuminate parental IPV exposure’s unique influence on well-being during vulnerable developmental periods. It also calls attention to the importance of developing suitable intervention/prevention programs to target this vulnerable population.

Longitudinal associations between physically abusive parents’ emotional expressiveness and children’s self-regulation

The present study took a developmental psychopathology approach to examine the longitudinal association between parents’ emotional expressiveness and children’s self-regulation. Data collection spanned from 2004 to 2008. Ninety-two physically abusive parents completed yearly assessments of their emotional expressiveness, as well as their children’s self-regulation abilities. Observational and behavioral measures were also obtained yearly to capture both parents’ emotional expressiveness and children’s self-regulation. Specifically, parents participated in a parent-child interaction task, which provided insight into their levels of flat affect. A puzzle box task was completed by each child to assess self-regulation. Results indicated, first, that greater parental expression of negative emotions predicted poorer self-regulation in children, both concurrently and across time. Second, parental expressions of positive emotions and parents’ flat affect were unrelated to children’s self-regulation. Findings inform our understanding of parental socialization of self-regulation and provide insight into the roles of distinct components of emotional expressiveness. Moreover, findings have crucial implications for understanding emotional expressiveness in high-risk samples and increase our understanding of within-group functioning among maltreating families that may serve as a means to direct intervention efforts.

Assessing the interplay between multigenic and environmental influences on adolescent to adult pathways of antisocial behaviors

The current investigation utilized a developmental psychopathology approach to test the hypothesis that multigenic (i.e., dopaminergic and serotonergic genes) and multienvironmental factors interactively contribute to developmental pathways of antisocial behavior (ASB). A sample of 8,834 Caucasian individuals from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were used to (a) examine the developmental pathways of ASB from age 13 to 32 using growth mixture modeling, (b) compute weighted multigenic risk scores (Add Health MRS) for ASB from six well-characterized polymorphisms in dopamine and serotonin genes, and (c) test the interaction between the Add Health MRS and a measures of support (incorporating indicators of both positive and negative support from parents and schools). Four pathways of adolescent to adult ASB emerged from the growth mixture models: low, adolescence-peaked, high decline, and persistent. Add Health MRS predicted the persistent ASB pathway, but not other ASB pathways. Males with high Add Health MRS, but not low MRS, had significantly greater odds of being in the adolescence-peaked pathway relative to the low pathway at low levels of school connectedness. Nonfamilial environmental influences during adolescence may have a cumulative impact on the development of ASB, particularly among males with greater underlying genetic risks.

Parent-Child Attunement Moderates the Prospective Link between Parental Overcontrol and Adolescent Adjustment.

Parental overcontrol (OC), behavior that intrusively or dominantly restricts child autonomy, has been identified as a transdiagnostic risk factor for youth. However, it is as yet unknown whether the association between parental OC and child maladjustment remains even when OC is exerted infrequently or by attuned parents. Rather, the selective use of OC might steer children away from danger. Taking a developmental psychopathology approach, this study focuses on the larger parent-child relationship context, testing whether either the dose at which parents demonstrate OC or the degree to which children perceive their parents as attuned determines whether OC is risky or protective for adolescents' adjustment. Among a community sample of 114 families of children followed from the ages of 12-18, we examine whether OC, behaviorally coded from triadic mother-father-child discussions in middle childhood, is associated with later risky behavior and anxiety symptoms in adolescence. Overcontrol exerted by either mothers or fathers had a curvilinear effect on adolescent risky behaviors, and this effect was moderated by children's perceived attunement. Although OC generally was associated with increased risky behaviors, low doses of OC or OC exerted by highly attuned parents protected against engagement in risky behaviors. No main effect of OC was observed on adolescent anxiety; however, mothers' OC interacted with perceived parental attunement, such that OC exerted by less attuned parents predicted greater anxiety. Results underscore that the effect of parenting behaviors depends on the larger parent-child relationship context.

The interplay among socioeconomic status, household chaos, and parenting in the prediction of child conduct problems and callous-unemotional behaviors.

Child conduct problems (CP) reflect a heterogeneous collection of oppositional, aggressive, norm-violating, and sometimes violent behaviors, whereas child callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors reflect interpersonal styles of interactions reflecting a lack of guilt and empathy as well as uncaring and shallow emotional responses to others. Taken together, high levels of child CP and CU behaviors are thought to identify a relatively homogenous group of children at elevated risk for persistent and more severe problem behaviors across childhood and into adulthood. Although a large body of research has examined the developmental etiology of CP behaviors, only recently has a developmental psychopathology approach been applied to early CU behaviors. The current study examines multiple levels of contextual influences during the first years of life, including family socioeconomic status, household chaos, and parenting behaviors, on CP and CU behaviors assessed during the first-grade year. Whereas previous studies found associations between parenting behaviors and child problem behaviors moderated by household chaos, the current study found no evidence of moderation. However, path analyses suggest that the associations between child CP and CU behaviors and the contextual variables of socioeconomic status (family income and parental education) and household chaos (disorganization and instability) were mediated by maternal sensitive and harsh-intrusive parenting behavior. Analyses are presented, interpreted, and discussed with respect to both bioecological and family stress models of development.

Violence in context: Embracing an ecological approach to violent media exposure.

This commentary expands on Anderson, Bushman, Donnerstein, Hummer, and Warburton's agenda for minimizing the impacts of violent media exposure (VME) on youth aggression. We argue that in order to effectively intervene in the development of aggression and other maladaptive traits, researchers and policymakers should take an ecological, developmental psychopathology approach to understanding children's exposure to VME within developmental, relational, environmental, and cultural contexts. Such a framework holds the most promise for identifying at-risk groups, establishing targets of intervention, and testing mechanisms of change.

Verbal and nonverbal communication in at-risk mother-child dyads: Implications for relationship quality and developing positive social behaviours in middle-childhood

Factors that promote healthy relationships have been understudied. The objective of this study is to examine mother–child verbal and nonverbal communication (separately), relationship quality and children's positive social behaviours in an at-risk sample framed within the developmental psychopathology approach. Mothers are part of a 35-year longitudinal prospective study who, as children, were rated by peers on measures of aggression and social withdrawal. These mothers, with their own 9- to 13-year-old children, participated in conflict and game-playing tasks. Verbal and nonverbal communication were coded separately using systematic observational measures. Maternal childhood histories of aggression and withdrawal predicted poorer dyad verbal communication, relationship quality and children's positive social behaviours. Frequently displayed positive verbal and nonverbal communication were associated with better relationship quality and children's positive social behaviours. The results highlight the unique contributions of verbal and nonverbal communication to adaptive development and to promoting healthy relationships in at-risk families during middle-childhood.

Orphanhood by AIDS-Related Causes and Child Mental Health: A Developmental Psychopathology Approach

While the number of new HIV infections has declined, the number of orphans as a result of AIDS-related deaths continues to increase. The aim of this paper was to systematically review empirical research on the mental health of children affected by HIV/AIDS in the developing world, specifically with an eye on developing a theoretical framework to guide intervention and research. Articles for review were gathered by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA standards), reviewed and then organized and synthesized with a Developmental Psychopathology framework. Results showed that the immediate and longterm effects of AIDS orphanhood are moderated by a number of important risk and protective factors that may serve as strategic targets for intervention. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

Commentary: Integrating callous and unemotional traits into the definition of antisocial behaviour--a commentary on Frick et al. (2014).

Heterogeneity in the presentation, antecedents, prognosis and treatment response of antisocial behaviour has long provided a challenge to developmental psychopathology researchers. As illustrated in the incisive Frick and colleagues' Annual Research Review, there is growing evidence that the presence of high callous-unemotional (CU) traits identifies a subgroup of antisocial young people with a particularly aggressive and pervasive form of disorder. Frick and colleagues extend their developmental psychopathology approach to CU traits by linking in theories of conscience development and considering evidence on the stability of CU traits. This commentary addresses these themes and the area more generally, considering (1) comparison of a CU specifier to alternative approaches to antisocial heterogeneity (2) high CU traits in the absence of antisocial behaviour and (3) aspects of the measurement of CU traits.

Commentary: ADHD and social disadvantage: an inconvenient truth? – a reflection on Russell et al. () and Larsson et al. ()

In the 1950's, many experts believed hyperkinesis was a neurotic reaction to inner conflicts arising from early family experiences. In the 1990's, many experts believed ADHD to be 'genetic' (without a mechanistic explanation of what that meant). Both views appear naïve today in a scientific world grappling with the complexity of highly plastic gene expression, gene x environment interplay, and epigenetic, context-dependent emergence of psychopathology. Both views also fail to account for the uncomfortable fact that ADHD is also associated with social disadvantage - a level of analysis required in a developmental psychopathology approach. That developmental psychopathology approach, pioneered a generation ago, initially emphasized the accumulation of risk and protective factors, and emerged in a contemporary systemic approach that seeks to determine whether it is risk accumulation (e.g., allostatic load) or specific risk factors (e.g., family process) that mechanistically shape psychopathology. Despite the prominence of the developmental psychopathology perspective, the social context of ADHD is surprisingly neglected today. Both Russell etal. (this issue, 2014) and Larsson etal. (this issue, 2014) take strides toward remedying this state of affairs.

Disinhibited social engagement in postinstitutionalized children: Differentiating normal from atypical behavior

The most commonly reported socially aberrant behavior in postinstitutionalized (PI) children is disinhibited social engagement (DSE; also known as indiscriminate friendliness). There is no gold standard for measurement of this phenomenon nor agreement on how to differentiate it from normative behavior. We adopted a developmental psychopathology approach (Cicchetti, 1984) to study this phenomenon by comparing it to normative social development and by studying its patterns over time in 50 newly adopted PI children (16-36 months at adoption) compared with 41 children adopted early from foster care overseas and 47 nonadopted (NA) controls. Using coded behavioral observations of the child's interaction with an unfamiliar adult, atypical behaviors were differentiated from normative behaviors. Principal components analysis identified two dimensions of social disinhibition. The nonphysical social dimension (e.g., initiations, proximity) showed wide variation in NA children and is therefore considered a typical form of sociability. Displays of physical contact and intimacy were rare in NA children, suggesting that they represent an atypical pattern of behavior. Both adopted groups demonstrated more physical DSE behavior than NA children. There were no group differences on the nonphysical factor, and it increased over time in all groups. Implications for understanding the etiology of DSE and future directions are discussed.

A Developmental Psychopathology Perspective on Personality Disorder: Introduction to the Special Issue

A Developmental Psychopathology Perspective on Personality Disorder: Introduction to the Special IssueJennifer L. Tackett and Carla SharpJennifer L. TackettAddress correspondence to Jennifer L. Tackett, Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 126 Heyne Building, Houston, TX 77204; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author and Carla SharpUniversity of Houston.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:December 2013https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi.2014.28.1.1PDFPDF PLUS ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations About Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Cited byCited by1. Using the Personality Assessment Inventory-Adolescent in Legal SettingsOnline publication date: 1 February 2022. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar2. Public Health Considerations in PsychopathyOnline publication date: 13 March 2022. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar3. Open Peer Commentary and Author'S ResponseOnline publication date: 1 September 2018. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar4. Integrating developmental aspects in current thinking about personality pathologyOnline publication date: Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar5. Das Schizoidie-Konzept in der PsychiatrieOnline publication date: 11 July 2017. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar6. Up-regulation of neural indicators of empathic concern in an offender populationOnline publication date: 30 June 2016. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar7. Online publication date: Go to citation Crossref 8. The Influence of Maternal Personality and Risk Factors for Impaired Mother-Infant Bonding on Breastfeeding DurationOnline publication date: Go to citation Crossref Google ScholarVera Ramos, Guilherme Canta, Filipa de Castro and Isabel Leal9. The relation between attachment, personality, internalizing, and externalizing dimensions in adolescents with borderline personality disorderOnline publication date: 1 September 2016. Go to citation Crossref 10. Parenting stress and postpartum depression/anxiety in mothers with personality disorders: indications for differential intervention prioritiesOnline publication date: 23 September 2015. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar11. Preface to Developmental Psychopathology, Third EditionOnline publication date: 10 February 2016. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar12. Toward a Unifying Perspective on Personality Pathology Across the Life SpanOnline publication date: 10 February 2016. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar13. ESCAP Expert Article: Borderline personality disorder in adolescence: An expert research review with implications for clinical practiceOnline publication date: 14 August 2015. Go to citation Crossref Google ScholarPeter Fonagy, Patrick Luyten and Elizabeth Allison14. Epistemic Petrification and the Restoration of Epistemic Trust: A New Conceptualization of Borderline Personality Disorder and Its Psychosocial TreatmentOnline publication date: 22 September 2015. Go to citation Crossref 15. Paranoid, schizoid, selbstunsicher, dependent und zwanghaftOnline publication date: 5 August 2015. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar16. L’enfant borderline en devenir II : validation préliminaire de l’Échelle de traits de personnalité limite pour enfantsOnline publication date: 29 January 2016. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar17. Personality Disorders in Adolescence: Introduction to the Special IssueOnline publication date: 30 November 2014. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar Volume 28Issue 1Feb 2014 Information© 2014 The Guilford PressPDF download

Coping with complexity: Developmental systems and multilevel analyses in developmental psychopathology

Developmental psychopathology is not characterized by adherence to one specific theory but instead serves as an organizational framework in which research is driven by a number of key assumptions. In the developmental psychopathology approach, two primary assumptions emphasize the importance of systems thinking and the utility of multilevel analyses. As will be illustrated here, these emphases are inextricably linked: a systems approach necessitates a multilevel approach, such that a level of organization must bring coherence to a level of mechanisms. Given this assumption, coming to an integrative understanding of the relation between levels is of central importance. One broad framework for this endeavor is relational developmental systems, which has been proposed by certain theorists as a new paradigm for developmental science. The implications of embracing this framework include the potential to connect developmental psychopathology with other approaches that emphasize systems thinking and that take an integrative perspective on the problem of levels of analysis.

Annual Research Review: A developmental psychopathology approach to understanding callous‐unemotional traits in children and adolescents with serious conduct problems

Recent research has suggested that the presence of significant levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits designates a clinically important and etiologically distinct subgroup of children and adolescents with serious conduct problems. Based on this research, CU traits have been included in the most recent revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th Edition (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013)--as a specifier for the diagnosis of conduct disorder. In this review, we attempt to understand CU traits within a developmental psychopathological framework. Specifically, we summarize research on the normal development of the prosocial emotions of empathy and guilt (i.e., conscience) and we illustrate how the development of CU traits can be viewed as the normal development of conscience gone awry. Furthermore, we review research on the stability of CU traits across different developmental periods and highlight factors that can influence this stability. Finally, we highlight the implications of this developmental psychopathological framework for future etiological research, for assessment and diagnostic classification, and for treatment of children with serious conduct problems.

边缘性人格障碍的病因机制<br>Pathogenetic Mechanisms of the Borderline Personality Disorder

边缘性人格障碍是以持久而普遍的认知、情绪和行为失调为特征的一种严重而复杂的行为障碍。从发展心理病理学的视角来看，边缘性人格障碍与童年期不良家庭环境、混乱的依恋关系、家庭史因素等心理社会风险因素有关，也与5-羟色胺、多巴胺等神经递质的功能缺损，前额边缘环路失调，自主神经功能失调有关，尤其重要的是边缘性人格障碍的形成可能是环境风险因素与脆弱的神经生物因素交互作用共同影响的结果。对边缘性人格病因机制考察的未来研究应该更加注重追踪研究，从多层次、多领域考察心理社会因素与生物学因素的交互在BPD发病中的作用。 Borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is characterized by persistent and pervasive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dysregulation, is among the most severe and perplexing behavioral disorders. From the developmental psychopathology approach, Borderline personality disorder is associated with psychological and social risk factors including poor family environments during childhood, disrupted attachment relationships and family history factors, and it is related to dysfunctional neurotransmitter systems, including serotonin, dopamine and so on. It is also related to dysfunction of frontolimbic circuitry and the peripheral nervous system. Most importantly, the emergence of BPD was the results of the interaction between environmental risk factors and vulnerable neurobiological factors across development. Future researches about pathogenetic mechanisms of the borderline personality disorder should focus on longitudinal or developmental studies and examine the role of the interaction between environmental risk factors and neurobiological factors in BPD from other fields and more comprehensive assessments of more methods.