Review of Childhood disorders: Behavioral-developmental approaches.

Reviews the book, Childhood disorders: Behavioral-developmental approaches edited by Robert J. McMahon and Ray Dev. Peters (1985). This volume includes 11 original chapters from the 1983 Banff International Conference on Behavioral Sciences. Together, these chapters provide an overview of a number of high-quality programmes of research in the area of childhood disorders. The editors state that the purpose of the current offering is to focus on recent advances in the conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of childhood behaviour disorders, with particular attention being given to the role of developmental processes. The book contains two major sections. The first provides an overview of the conceptual foundations for a "behavioural-developmental" approach to childhood disorders. The second, which constitutes approximately 80% of the volume, illustrates programmes for the assessment and treatment of childhood disorders spanning the developmental spectrum from infancy to adolescence. Although this volume's attempt to bridge the gap between behavioural and developmental work may fall short, it is nevertheless a worthwhile contribution that nicely illustrates a range of outstanding programmes of clinical research for a variety of childhood disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structural relations between borderline personality disorder features and putative etiological correlates.

This study assessed the structural relations between borderline personality disorder (BPD) features and purported etiological correlates. Approximately 5,000 18-year-old nonclinical young adults were screened for BPD features, and 2 cohorts of participants (total N?=?421; approximately one half of whom endorsed significant borderline features) completed the laboratory phase of the study. Measures included self-report and interview-based assessments of BPD psychopathology, personality, psychopathology in biological parents, and childhood physical and sexual abuse. Significant relations between BPD features and purported etiological correlates of BPD were found. A multivariate model that included parental psychopathology, childhood abuse, and personality factors provided an adequate fit to the data and supported the contention that the personality traits disinhibition and negative affectivity underlie BPD features. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Healing the incest wound: Adult survivors in therapy, 2nd edition.

Reviews the book, Healing the incest wound: Adult survivors in therapy, 2nd edition by Christine A. Courtois (see record 2010-06160-000). Similar to the first edition, the second edition is divided into three main sections: Section I gives a broad but in-depth overview of the characteristics and dynamics of incest; Section II provides a breadth of information on the long-term effects, assessment, and diagnosis; and Section III details current evidence-informed best practice in working with survivors of prolonged child sexual abuse. The book presents a wide range of treatment modalities that represent a bevy of both empirically supported and supplemental techniques, from cognitive–behavioral to expressive therapies, such as art or poetry. The second edition of Healing the incest wound is an important read for any practitioner, novice or experienced, working with child sexual abuse survivors. Courtois both provides a solid basis for those beginning work with child sexual abuse survivors and adds to the knowledge of seasoned practitioners by bringing together the most current empirical evidence and clinical wisdom regarding child sexual abuse treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cognition and emotion: From order to disorder, second edition.

Reviews the book, Cognition and emotion: From order to disorder, second edition by Mick Power and Tim Dalgleish (see record 2007-10431-000). In this book, the authors provide a detailed analysis of emotion with an explicit focus on differences and similarities between "disordered" emotion and normative emotional experience. What sets this text apart from other books on cognition and emotion is its attempt to describe the philosophical and historical underpinnings of work on emotion. Another unique feature of this text is that the authors go beyond just describing the various theories of emotion by comparing and contrasting the arguments advanced by the theories and highlighting the strengths and limitations of each theory. This book is divided into two parts: Part 1 is a review of the major theories of emotion, and Part 2 consists of reviews of research on five basic emotions, as well as illustrations of how the SPAARS framework can be used to explain normative and nonnormative variants of these emotions. Power and Dalgleish suggest that readers can choose either to read the book in its entirety or to focus on the sections that are of interest. Overall, this second edition of Cognition and Emotion is a readable and engaging book. This book is not a primer; as noted earlier, some parts of it are conceptually heavy. For this reason, the most appropriate audience for this book is advanced graduate students who already have some background in research on basic emotion or psychopathology and who are looking to enhance their knowledge base. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Institute of Medicine report on prevention of mental disorders: Summary and commentary.

A comprehensive report mandated by the US Congress on the state of the science of prevention recommends a stricter definition of the term prevention; summarizes specific preventive intervention research programs across the life span; and specifies funding, personnel, and coordination priorities to build a national prevention research infrastructure. A major conceptual recommendation is a focus on reducing risk for mental disorders, which has been a fruitful strategy in the prevention of physical illness. The report argues that the prevention field should also draw from advances in mental disorder treatment research and from the major contributions to the knowledge base occurring in the behavioral and biological core sciences. Relevant advances in neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology, and developmental psychopathology are examined in detail. Five major disorders are chosen to illustrate possible approaches to prevention: conduct disorder, depressive disorders, alcohol abuse and dependence, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with chronic-tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss

The high rate of comorbidity between major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse is noted and the possible causes of the association are examined. Three reasons for the high degree of comorbidity are discarded--underlying dependent personality disorder and/or childhood deprivation, a common hereditary defect, and self-medication with alcohol for primary depression. Alternative explanations are favored, namely, the chance simultaneous occurrence and subsequent oversampling of two common disorders, and the fact that alcohol abuse is often the "horse" to the "cart" of major depressive disorder. The treatment implications of such a view are discussed.     

Predicting the 21/?-year outcome of dysthymic disorder: The roles of childhood adversity and family history of psychopathology.

Follow-up studies of dysthymic disorder (DD) indicate that demographic and clinical variables are not strong predictors of its outcome. The present study extended this literature by examining the relationship between the early home environment and family history of psychopathology and outcome in DD. Eighty-six outpatients with DD were followed up over a 30-month period using structured clinical interviews. A number of measures of childhood adversity and familial psychopathology assessed at baseline predicted outcome, even after controlling for baseline severity and clinical variables. The best predictors included a history of sexual abuse, quality of the patient's relationship with both parents, and higher familial loadings for drug abuse and Cluster A personality disorders. These findings indicated that childhood adversity and familial psychopathology have greater predictive utility for DD than for demographic and clinical variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nontraumatic pathways to borderline personality disorder.

Clinicians who treat borderline personality disorder (BPD) generally assume that this disorder is caused by childhood abuse. This assumption is strongly supported in the BPD literature, which indicates that the majority of individuals with BPD have suffered emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. What is often missed or simply ignored in discussions of BPD is that this same body of research also suggests that a significant minority of borderline individuals have not suffered childhood abuse. This article reviewed the literature on the prevalence of childhood abuse and BPD, offered a number of hypotheses about nontraumatic pathways to BPD, and briefly considered treatment implications for nontraumatized BPD individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of treatment for eating disorders.

Reviews the book, Handbook of treatment for eating disorders (2nd ed.) edited by David M. Garner and Paul E. Garfinkel (see record 1997-08478-000). In this book, the editors state that their primary goal is to present treatment approaches in sufficient detail that clinicians can conduct therapy of these disorders. A strong research base undergirds each chapter, filled with extensive case illustration and practical approaches, directed toward the practicing clinician. With new as well as revised chapters, this book consists of five major sections. The first, "The Context for Treatment," describes the history of eating disorders, focusing on Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. The second, and most coherent, section focuses on cognitive-behavioral and educational approaches. A conglomeration of approaches based on other theoretical perspectives appears in the third section, entitled "Psychodynamic, Feminist, and Family Approaches." In the fourth section, issues around inpatient, partial hospitalization, and drug therapies are reviewed. A final, catch-all section covers special topics, including comorbid histories and conditions (sexual abuse, substance abuse, and medical issues), diagnostic concerns (personality disorders), alternative treatments (group, self-help), treatment dilemmas (treatment refusal in anorexia nervosa), age considerations (prepubertal eating disorders), and binge-eating disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Culture and Psychopathology.

Reviews the book, Culture and Psychopathology, edited by Ihsan Al-Issa (1982). This book consists of 16 chapters on different aspects and issues of the study of psychopathology cross-culturally by a number of different authors, many of them well-known authorities in the field. Topics covered include methodology in cross-cultural psychopathology, social class and affective disorders, culture-bound syndromes, personality abnormalities, alcohol abuse, sexual deviation, psychosomatics, and pain. The book will serve as a good reference both for those interested in the findings of the research on the influence of culture on psychopathology and for those concerned with the issues and problems of research in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Childhood abuse, body image disturbance, and eating disorders

Studies have suggested that women who experience child sexual abuse are at risk for developing symptoms related to anorexia nervosa and bulimia. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships among childhood sexual and physical abuse, body image disturbance, and eating disorder symptomatology. Of 670 female college students screened for childhood abuse, 29 sexually abused, 32 physically abused, and 29 nonabused women completed measures of eating disorder symptoms, psychological factors thought to be related to eating disorders, and body image distortion. Contrary to previous reports, there was no evidence that child sexual or physical abuse was associated with the development of body image disturbance. Furthermore, the results did not support the hypothesis that child sexual and physical abuse are related to eating disorder symptomatology. It is suggested that subjects who are victims of child sexual abuse and who are receiving psychotherapy manifest higher rates of a number of different types of psychopathology, including eating disorders.     

Review of The link between childhood trauma and mental illness.

Reviews the book, The link between childhood trauma and mental illness by Barbara Everett and Ruth Gallop (see record 2000-16130-000). This is a very useful book, particularly for novice practitioners and front-line workers who may not have had a supervised experience dealing with abused individuals. The authors set out to provide a practical guide to the care of individuals who have experienced abuse (both sexual and physical) as children, and who present themselves as adults to mental health practitioners, in particular to those who are not practicing in specialized trauma clinics. I believe they have succeeded in their goal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The colors within: One rainbow reclaimed.

Reviews the book, The colors within: One rainbow reclaimed by Jana Adams (2006). In this book, the author uses an illustrated fairy tale to depict the recovery process of one abused child as she navigates the complex journey into adulthood. Vivid metaphors, compelling language, and powerful images that capture both the fundamental loss experienced by an abused child and her gradual restoration of an integrated sense of self comprise this beautifully written book. Touching on the many challenges faced by survivors of childhood abuse, Adams provides a picture that trauma clinicians will recognize as an accurate characterization of the issues often confronted by the patients they treat. The unique value of this book lies in its potential as a therapeutic tool to help patients process traumatic experiences related to abuse. It will be of interest to any clinician who seeks to understand trauma from a nonacademic perspective and aspires to utilize a creative form of treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Essentials of abnormal psychology, first Canadian edition.

Reviews the book, Essentials of abnormal psychology, first Canadian edition by V. Mark Durand, David H. Barlow, and Sherry H. Stewart (2007). This first edition covers the terrain one might expect of an abnormal psychology textbook. This includes chapters on historical context, approaches to psychopathology, clinical assessment, diagnosis and research methods, anxiety disorders, somatoform and dissociative disorders, mood disorders and suicide, physical disorders and health psychology, eating and sleep disorders, sexual and gender identity disorders, substance-related disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia and other related disorders, developmental and cognitive disorders, and finally, legal and ethical issues as related to mental health. Although the book initially may look rather dense (it is not), there are numerous organisational aids to facilitate learning. The authors have more than amply succeeded in their stated intention to present a multidimensional perspective, integrating behavioural, emotional and cognitive, and social contexts to explore the essentials of abnormal psychology. Using easy to understand language appropriate for undergraduates, this book guides the reader through the fascinating field of abnormal psychology, pointing out the expected, and for an added bonus, the unexpected and often neglected. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From A to Z on child and adolescent bipolar disorder.

Reviews Bipolar disorder in childhood and early adolescence (2003), edited by Barbara Geller and Melissa P. DelBello (see record 2003-04754-000). This book is structured to offer a well-rounded account of issues surrounding childhood and adolescent bipolar disorder. This volume is seen as a much needed desk reference for seasoned mental health and medical professionals as well as those in graduate level training programs. Geller and DelBello have organized a comprehensive and rigorous review of the current knowledge base, scientific innovation and technology, and future direction of assessment and treatments for childhood bipolar disorder. This book serves as a superb resource for professionals who treat families with bipolar children and as a catalyst for future debate, research, and innovation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Come here: A man overcomes the tragic aftermath of childhood sexual abuse.

Reviews the book, Come here: A man overcomes the tragic aftermath of childhood sexual abuse by Richard Berendzen, with Laura Palmer. Berendzen, former president of American University in Washington, D.C. was both the perpetrator and the victim of a psychosexual tragedy. This autobiography, however, focuses only on his own tragedy: his mother's sexual abuse of him. It completely ignores the tragic consequences of his own frightening, obscene phone calls which he admits making to 10-15 women who had placed ads in newspapers to provide child care. Although Berendzen states in his book that the fact that he was a victim of childhood sexual abuse does not excuse his crimes, he nonetheless repeatedly describes the terroristic phone calls as the result of a "compulsion" and "impulse." One of the women to whom Berendzen made repeated calls cooperated with the police to catch him, and his world fell apart. The rest of the book describes his resultant trials, humiliation, and grief as he faced his family, members of the American University community, the press and, briefly noted, the criminal justice system. Berendzen agonizes throughout much of this book with self-pitying, but moving, pathos over the consequences of his detection to his own life and career, as well as his family's and university's well-being. But nowhere does he agonize about the effect that terrorizing phone calls detailing child sexual abuse could have on women charged with watching children, women who may have vulnerable children themselves. This book may have been therapeutic for Berendzen, but it has left one of his victims, who says she "was doing pretty well until this came up," shaken again. Still, the book is significant and valuable, for therapists and the general public, for the lessons learned between the lines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Childhood and adolescent depression: a review of the past 10 years. Part I

OBJECTIVE: To qualitatively review the literature of the past decade covering the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, natural course, biology, and other correlates of early-onset major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymic disorder (DD). METHOD: A computerized search for articles published during the past 10 years was made and selected studies are presented. RESULTS: Early-onset MDD and DD are frequent, recurrent, and familial disorders that tend to continue into adulthood, and they are frequently accompanied by other psychiatric disorders. These disorders are usually associated with poor psychosocial and academic outcome and increased risk for substance abuse, bipolar disorder, and suicide. In addition, DD increases the risk for MDD. There is a secular increase in the prevalence of MDD, and it appears that MDD is occurring at an earlier age in successive cohorts. Several genetic, familial, demographic, psychosocial, cognitive, and biological correlates of onset and course of early-onset depression have been identified. Few studies, however, have examined the combined effects of these correlates. CONCLUSIONS: Considerable advances have been made in our knowledge of early-onset depression. Nevertheless, further research is needed in understanding the pathogenesis of childhood mood disorders. Toward this end, studies aimed at elucidating mechanisms and interrelationships among the different domains of risk factors are needed.     

Sommeil, insomnie et psychopathologie.

Sleep plays a critical role in psychological well-being and adaptation. Not surprisingly, sleep disturbance is a frequent problem among individuals facing situational psychological difficulties as well as among those with more chronic psychopathology. This article examines the relationship among sleep, insomnia, and psychopathology. In the first section, we address the issue of comorbidity by examining prevalence rates of sleep disturbances in the general population and among subgroups of individuals with selected psychopathologies and, conversely, rates of psychological symptoms/syndromes among individuals with and without sleep disturbances. The data indicate high rates of psychological syndromes (40%) associated with insomnia among community-based samples, and even higher rates (80%) of sleep disturbances among selected samples of patients with psychopathology. Comorbidity is particularly high among patients with insomnia, major depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. Although insomnia is often a symptom of an underlying psychopathology, longitudinal studies show that it can also be an important risk factor for a new onset major depressive disorder. The second section of this article summarizes the main subjective and EEG sleep impairments in selected anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. Insomnia is a common clinical feature or even a diagnostic criterion of several of those disorders. Other related symptoms such as fatigue, low energy and poor concentration are shared across insomnia, major depression, and generalized anxiety disorder, suggesting some common mechanisms among those conditions. In addition to subjective sleep complaints, there is also evidence of EEG sleep abnormalities, such as impairment of sleep continuity, reduced slow wave sleep, and altered REM sleep patterns, with the latter two features being more specific to mood disorders. The third section of this article examines the effects of insomnia treatment on co-existing psychological symptoms or disorders and, conversely, the effects of treatment of selected anxiety and mood disorders on sleep. These results indicate that treatments of depression and anxiety may produce some sleep improvements but, in many cases, residual sleep disturbances persist and may actually increase the risk of subsequent relapse. The main implication is that treatment should directly target both co-existing conditions. Additional implications for the treatment and prevention of comorbid sleep disturbances and psychopathology and for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychopathology in children of parents with opiate dependence and/or major depression

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate psychiatric disorders and impairment in school-age and adolescent children of opiate-dependent patients. METHOD: One hundred fourteen children, aged 6 to 17 years, of 69 white methadone maintenance patients with (n = 30) and without (n = 39) major depression were evaluated for DSM-III-R diagnoses by the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Epidemiologic version and best estimate, and by measures of functioning (Children's Global Assessment Scale, Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents, WISC, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test), and compared with children of historical controls without substance abuse history. RESULTS: Sons of opiate addicts with major depression were at increased risk for conduct disorder and global, social, and intellectual impairment compared with sons of opiate addicts without major depression and/or sons of controls with neither drug dependence nor depression. Sons of opiate addicts without major depression differed little from controls. Daughters of opiate addicts did not differ from controls in rates of disorders but had poorer social adjustment and nonverbal intelligence. CONCLUSIONS: Children of opiate-dependent patients, particularly sons of addicts with depression, may be at risk for a developmental path toward antisocial personality and poor social and intellectual functioning. Treatment settings such as methadone maintenance might afford an opportunity for primary and secondary prevention, both through early detection of childhood disorders and treatment of parental drug dependence and psychopathology.