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Etiological theories

Etiological theories. Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph.D. Portions of this power point taken from Mash & Wolfe’s Instructor’s Manual. Why do some children develop a psychiatric dx?. Etiology = causal explanation In order to study abnormal behavior, we need to understand all the possible influences.

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Etiological theories

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  1. Etiological theories Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph.D. Portions of this power point taken from Mash & Wolfe’s Instructor’s Manual.

  2. Why do some children develop a psychiatric dx? • Etiology = causal explanation • In order to study abnormal behavior, we need to understand all the possible influences. • Case study: Mark • Poor academic performance • Frustration and depressive symptoms • Motivational problems • Parental issues

  3. Underlying Assumptions • There usually is no “single” cause for a psychiatric disorder. • Biological explanation • Psychological explanation • Environmental explanation

  4. The need to understand expected development Taken from Mash & Wolfe (2005)

  5. We need to understand normal development Because to understand abnormal behavior, we must view it in relation to what is considered normative.

  6. Developmental Psychopathology Perspective Taken from Mash & Wolfe (2005)

  7. Major Theories • Genetic theories • Neurobiological theories • Emotional theories • Behavioral and Cognitive theories • Societal, Cultural, and Family theories

  8. Genetic Theories • Gregor Mendel • Genetic Theories • Phenotype • Huntington’s Disease • Single transmission vs. multifactorial transmission

  9. The mental health continuum • The continuum: main street America, a quirky personality, hours cleaning your apartment, medication and treatment of OCD????? • The dimensional approach.

  10. Concordance Rates Concordance rates = if 1 twin has a disorder, what is the probability that the second twin will have the disorder? Fraternal vs. identical twins.

  11. Concordance Rates for Mental Illness in Twins

  12. Can genes be modified? Are they unmodifiable? Immediate early genes (genes that produce proteins that enable the brain to respond quickly to a changing environment) Complex organic chemicals (class of genes that stimulate the production of certain proteins).

  13. Neural plasticity and experience • Neural Plasticity and the Role of Experience • The brain is organized in a hierarchical process • What about early experiences? Do they make a difference? The answer is YES!

  14. The final say about the role of genetics (for now)! • Genetic Contributions: • All traits = nature versus nurture. • There are very few disorders that result from ONLY a genetic explanation. • Genes and psychopathology = a small contribution!

  15. Neurobiological Perspective Brain’s neurons make connecticuts at a very fast pace – birth through 24 months. What does deprivation do to a child? The case of Genie. Yet… brain plasticity. The cases of Brandi Binder and Antonio Battro (3 and 5 years old).

  16. Developmental perspective • Does brain damage cause ADHD and autism? NO. • The role of neurochemistry. • 1960’s = research team exposed rats to an enriched environment. What happened? • Increased levels of acetylcholine. • Heavier cerebral cortices. • Larger cell bodies in cortical neurons. • Increased neuronal connections and branching.

  17. Does an enriched environment affect brain? The work of David Snowden & his nun study. Impoverishing experiences, e.g. Hubel & Wiesel and kittens. What if the environment causes early stress? What does that research say?

  18. Neurobiological Contributions • Neurobiological Contributions: • different areas of the brain regulate different functions and behaviors

  19. Neuropsychology Endocrine system The brain stem Thalamus Hypothalamus Cerebellum Forebrain Limbic system Hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, septum and amygdala

  20. Neuropsychology Caudate nucleus Limbic system Basal ganglia Cerebral cortex 2 hemispheres – left and right Corpus collosum Occipital lobes Parietal lobes Temporal lobes Frontal lobes

  21. Brain development At what age is the brain finished developing? Pruning – use it or lose it. The role of myelination.

  22. Neurobiological contributions • Neurobiological contributions • hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis • neurotransmitters make biochemical connections between different parts of the brain; those most commonly implicated in psychopathology include seratonin, benzodiazepine-GABA, norepinephrine, and dopamine

  23. Emotional Influences • Emotional Influences: • emotions tell us what to pay attention to and provide motivation for action • children may have difficulties in emotion reactivity or emotion regulation • temperament shapes the child’s approach to the environment and vice versa

  24. Behavioral and cognitive influences • Behavioral and Cognitive Influences: • classical conditioning • Operant conditioning • social learning • social cognition

  25. Ecological Models • Ecological models • describe the child’s environment as a series of nested and interconnected structures • UrieBronfenbrenner • Ecological – a theory by UrieBronfenbrenner (1979) • Microsystem • Mesosystem • Exosystem • Macrosystem

  26. Evolution and Attachment • Evolution and Attachment • attachment theory emphasizes the evolving child-caregiver relationship, which helps the child to regulate behavior and emotions, especially in conditions of threat or stress

  27. Family and Peers • The Family and Peer Context • increasingly, the study of individual factors and the study of the child’s context are being seen as mutually compatible and beneficial to both theory and intervention • family system theorists study children’s behavior in relation to other family members

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