The relationship between attachment, psychopathology, and childhood disability.

Analyzes the literature on 3 aspects of attachment—neurobiological influences, interpersonal and intrapersonal factors, and societal factors—in the psychological development of chronically disabled children. Evidence suggests that neurochemical substances such as cortisol and brain biogenic amine systems reciprocally interact with psychological and psychosocial factors to influence attachment. Interpersonal and intrapersonal factors such as temperamental characteristics of children, severity and type of disability, and family influences interact in the process of attachment. Social perceptions and prejudices about the disabled individual increase parental stress, and diminish parental involvement and resources, which are necessary for attachment. These 3 processes are powerful and interrelated forces in child development, with potential to modify social competence, neurological development, and psychosocial adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent psychopathology: II. Psychosocial risk factors for depression.

In a prospective study of adolescent depression, adolescents (N?=?1,508) were assessed at Time 1 and after 1 yr (Time 2) on psychosocial variables hypothesized to be associated with depression. Most psychosocial variables were associated with current (n?=?45) depression. Formerly depressed adolescents (n?=?217) continued to differ from never depressed controls on many of the psychosocial variables. Many of the depression-related measures also acted as risk factors for future depression (n?=?112), especially past depression, current other mental disorders, past suicide attempt, internalizing behavior problems, and physical symptoms. Young women were more likely to be, to become, and to have been depressed. Controlling for the psychosocial variables eliminated the gender difference for current and future but not for past depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Epilogue: Bridging the gap between research on attachment and psychopathology.

Clinicians and researchers are beginning to acknowledge the importance of integrating a developmental perspective into the understanding of clinical disorders. The application of findings from basic attachment research to this understanding of psychopathology is a prototype for interdisciplinary research. However, major gaps continue to exist between basic research on attachment processes and clinical issues of assessment, classification, and treatment of mental disorders from infancy through adolescence. This epilogue highlights the importance of more integrative research. As a reflection of growth in this direction, National Institute of Mental Health funding patterns are reviewed, and promising areas for future research are suggested. The field is well positioned for conceptual advancement if more integrative approaches are used. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of adult attachment styles in psychopathology and psychotherapy outcomes.

Attachment theory provides a model for understanding how the attachment styles formed in infancy systematically affect subsequent psychological functioning across the life span. Attachment styles provide the cognitive schemas, or working models, through which individuals perceive and relate to their worlds. In turn, these schemas predispose the development of psychopathologies and influence outcomes when people undergo psychotherapy. After reviewing recent empirical findings, the authors conclude that an understanding of attachment theory facilitates the conceptualization of clients' problems and the selection of appropriate interventions. Accordingly, attachment styles should be assessed as a standard part of treatment planning. Furthermore, the authors propose that attachment styles should be assessed as individual difference variables in psychotherapy outcome research because adult attachment styles dictate how people perceive and respond to their environments and, therefore, how clients respond differentially to various treatments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent mothering: child-grandmother attachment

This study explored the involvement of maternal grandmothers with children of adolescent mothers and child-grandmother attachment. In a sample of 32 children whose grandmothers were involved in child care, 44% were securely attached to mothers and 72% securely attached to grandmothers. Of the 18 children insecurely attached to mothers, 82.4% were securely attached to grandmothers. A significant relationship existed between attachment security and the time the child was with grandmother, sleeping time excluded. In contrast, time with mother was not related. Based on attachment theory, findings are presented and implications for nursing practice are made.     

Introduction to the special section on attachment and psychopathology: 2. Overview of the field of attachment

An improved system for amplification of hepatitis C virus genome (HCV) was developed based on a multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction format. Two sets of oligonucleotide primers were used simultaneously. One was derived from the conserved sequences in the 5' non-coding region of the viral genome which can bind to the viral genome of all genotypes. The other set of primers was designed from a sequence in the nonstructural-5 region of HCV. HCV genotypes 1 and 3 can be differentiated by the banding patterns of amplified DNA products. All of 39 samples containing the HCV genotype 1 could be amplified with primers in the 5' non-coding region only, whereas 92% of those with genotype 3 could be amplified by both primer sets. In addition, HCV RNA can be detected in 81% of 84 anti-HCV-positive blood donors and in 0% of 34 anti-HCV-negative cases. Of the HCV RNA-positive specimens, 69% showed genotype 1-like patterns while 31% showed genotype 3-like patterns. The detection rate of HCV RNA in this study was much higher than that in our previous report due to the improvement of new primers which can detect all genotypes of the virus. In conclusion, this improved amplification system is a sensitive method for rapid identification of HCV RNA in clinical specimens that can simultaneously differentiate the two most common genotypes of HCV found in Thailand.     

Introduction to the special section on attachment and psychopathology: Part 1.

Research derived from attachment theory has generated a rich and rapidly growing body of findings on the importance of early caregiving experience in the development of psychopathology and in the promotion of adaptation. This special section presents research and scholarship on the relation of attachment status to psychiatric classifications and diagnosis in child, adolescent, and adult populations. Included as well are articles that explore the cross-generational transmission of attachment patterns and investigate the relation of attachment status to response to psychotherapy. These articles are representative of the notable impact that attachment theory and research are making in the field of developmental psychopathology. The special section is intended to help bridge the gap between thinking about attachment and clinical research and intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent stress and coping: implications for psychopathology during adolescence

Stressful experiences and efforts to cope with stress are central to understanding psychological distress and psychopathology during adolescence. Depressive phenomena during adolescence offer a particularly interesting opportunity for understanding the role of stress and coping processes in adolescent psychopathology. Research concerned with stress and coping during adolescence is reviewed, using depression as a key example of a consequence of stress and coping processes. Based on this research, it is hypothesized that exposure to and appraisals of interpersonal stress combine with aspects of biological development and the use of maladaptive coping strategies to account for the emergence of significant gender differences in depression and other forms of psychopathology during adolescence. Directions for future research in this area are highlighted.     

Culture and psychopathology.

"In my opinion, the major contribution of anthropology to symptomatology is the opportunity it offers for reducing the ethnocentrism of the diagnostician… . The fact is that most distinctions between the fundamental symptomatological concepts in psychiatry have implicit or explicit social or cultural reference… . It follows that a valid diagnosis cannot be based on symptomatology alone, but must be derived from a study of the psychodynamics of the individual's patient in relation to his social and cultural milieu… . It is obvious that the content of a syndrome is influenced by the patient's culture… . Finally, the culture influences the individual's perception of a situation." The author's points are illustrated by material drawn from case studies. 45 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learning and psychopathology.

Experiments concerning the learning of abnormal human Ss are reviewed. The review includes discussion of how persons with particular types of psychopathology learn different kinds of tasks as well as the reasons suggested for the learning phenomena found. (73 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and psychopathology.

The author outlines a biometric model for analysis of behavior on 5 major levels of activity: physiological, sensory, perceptual, psychomotor, and conceptual. The tests and the technique are described and evaluated. 47 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Crime and psychopathology.

"This study investigated the relations between type of crime, age, intelligence, and degree of psychopathology, as measured by the MMPI F score. MMPIs were available from 190 white male court referrals who were nearly all classified as low socioeconomic status. It should be noted that one crime class (i.e., lewd acts on children) would have been excluded from the analysis if the usual criteria for discarding MMPIs had been used. A definite relationship between type of crime and degree of psychopathology was found. Individuals who commit sexual crimes appear to be the most seriously emotionally disturbed. No difference in mean F score between Ss released to the courts vs. those retained in the hospital was found." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ego disjunction and psychopathology.

"This study was designed to test the hypothesis that degree of ego disjunction is positively related to degree of psychopathology. A scale based upon the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule was devised to measure ego disjunction. College Students, Adolescents, Neurotics, Character Disorders, and Schizophrenics were tested and the following results were found… . a positive relationship between degree of ego disjunction and degree of psychopathology was demonstrated… . scores yielded three significantly different subgroups… . Schizophrenics alone;… Character Disorders, Neurotics and Adolescents;… [and] College Students alone." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inconsistent communications and psychopathology.

Investigated the presence of possible incongruity between verbal and nonverbal components of parental messages to a disturbed child. Video-taped family interactions of 2 groups of families in which there were 2 degrees of psychopathology of an adolescent member were employed. There were 2 different measures of incongruity between attitude conveyed in verbalizations and posture. Findings did not support the hypothesized relationship between incongruity and degree of pathology. Results did however indicate a relationship between degree of negative attitude conveyed by parental messages and rated psychopathology of the adolescent in the family. It was found that parents of the more disturbed adolescents verbally communicate more negative attitudes toward the adolescents than parents of the less disturbed adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fantasy proneness and psychopathology.

In Study 1, we administered objective (MMPI) and projective (Rorschach) measures to high fantasy prone individuals (upper 4% of college population), medium fantasy prone individuals (middle range), and nonfantasizers (lowest 4%). Subjects who were fantasizers appeared to use fantasy for defensive or adaptive purposes compared with others and produced 8/9 modal code types on the MMPI. On the basis of the MMPI findings, a subset of fantasizers could be described as exhibiting a significant degree of psychopathology. In Study 2, a second sample of fantasy prone individuals could not be distinguished from comparison groups in contacts with professionals for help with psychological problems, use of psychotropic medication, or number of close friendships. Although fantasizers perceived themselves as less well adjusted than comparison subjects and reported greater difficulty in distinguishing fantasy from reality, most fantasizers rated their psychological functioning as adequate and above and did not differ from less fantasy prone subjects in ratings of positivity of self-concept. As demonstrated in Study 1, a subset of fantasizers did appear to be more pathological than other subjects were, with three fantasizers reporting a history of psychiatric hospitalizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive controls and psychopathology.

Studied 90 psychiatric inpatients (nonpsychotic, nonschizophrenic psychotic, schizophrenic) and 35 normal controls to (a) determine whether some of the traditional cognitive controls could be isolated in these patients and (b) evaluate whether various diagnostic groups differed from each other and from normals in terms of these congitive controls. Ss were administered a battery of cognitive control tasks (e.g., the Phillips Scale of Premorbid Adjustment, WAIS, and Rorschach tests). With age, socioeconomic status, and verbal IQ as covariates, the factor structure for the total group was similar to that reported in other studies of cognitive control organization in the normal population. Schizophrenic and other psychiatric patients were not characterized by distinctly different organizations of cognitive controls. Although patients showed specific areas of cognitive dysfunctions, these seemed to be related to degree of disorganization. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent psychopathology: I. Prevalence and incidence of depression and other DSM-III—R disorders in high school students.

Data were collected on the point and lifetime prevalences, 1-yr incidence, and comorbidity of depression with other Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-Revised (DSM-III-R) disorders in a randomly selected sample (n?=?1,710) of high school students at point of entry and at 1-yr follow-up (n?=?1,508). The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children was used to collect diagnostic information; 9.6% met criteria for a current disorder, more than 33% had experienced a disorder over their lifetimes, and 31.7% of the latter had experienced a 2nd disorder. High relapse rates were found for all disorders, especially for unipolar depression (18.4%) and substance use (15.0%). Female Ss had significantly higher rates at all age levels for unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and adjustment disorders; male Ss had higher rates of disruptive behavior disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental alcoholism and childhood psychopathology.

We reviewed studies about children of alcoholic parents published between 1975 and 1985 to clarify the relation between parental alcoholism and child psychopathology. We identified methodological problems in this body of literature and organized substantive findings around eight areas of outcome: (a) hyperactivity and conduct disorder; (b) substance abuse, delinquency, and truancy; (c) cognitive functioning; (d) social inadequacy; (e) somatic problems; (f) anxiety and depressive symptoms; (g) physical abuse; and (h) dysfunctional family interactions. The literature as a whole supported the contention that parental alcoholism is associated with a heightened incidence of child symptoms of psychopathology, in comparison with no increased incidence in offspring of nondisturbed parents. However, neither all nor a major portion of the population of children from alcoholic homes are inevitably doomed to childhood psychological disorder. Findings are discussed in terms of causality, child resiliency, and potential qualifying factors, such as variations in family disruption. Recommendations are presented regarding methodological improvements, possible mediating variables, and a multiple-risk conceptualization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment disorganization and the controlling strategies: An illustration of the contributions of attachment theory to developmental psychopathology and to psychotherapy integration.

Attachment theory may be instrumental in providing a framework for psychotherapy integration, but to cope with the complexities of clinical realities it should be considered within an overall evolutionary approach to the basis of human interpersonal behavior and also in the perspective of developmental psychopathology. To illustrate these premises with materials that can be of immediate interest to practicing psychotherapists, this article focuses on the example of the clinical applications of research findings on attachment disorganization and its developmental sequels. The controlling strategies that usually follow in the preschool years infant disorganized attachment illustrate the relevance of considering the dialectics and the dynamic tensions between attachment motives and other evolved motives such as caregiving and dominance–submission. The role played by the disorganized-controlling strategies in psychopathological developments and in the relational dilemmas that often characterize the psychotherapy of difficult patients is discussed and exemplified through two clinical vignettes. It is argued that the model based on attachment disorganization and controlling strategies relies on concepts that are understandable and potentially acceptable to psychotherapists of different orientations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)