Benjamin B. Lahey - Böcker

A remarkable and extremely important ongoing positive revolution in how we think about psychological problems is rapidly reaching a tipping point. This book provides a manifesto for this revolution. An increasing number of psychologists and psychiatrists are proposing that we either radically change the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases or leave them behind entirely. The author argues for a view of psychological problems that is far less stigmatizing and better supported by the data but which will require large changes in thinking. First, there is no clear distinction between "normal" and "abnormal" psychological functioning. Psychological problems do not reflect rare and terrifying "illnesses" of the mind, but are problematic ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving that lie on continuous dimensions from minor to severe. Crucially, psychological problems are ordinary aspects of the human experience. They are ordinary in the sense of being commonplace-the great majority of us will experience distressing and disruptive psychological problems at some time during our lives-and are ordinary in arising through the same natural interplay of genetic and environmental influences as any other aspect of behavior. The dimensions of psychological problems are highly correlated and these correlations provide vital clues as that allow us to see a hierarchy of causes of psychological problems for the first time. These range from factors that influence the likelihood of exhibiting some kind of psychological problem, but not which kind, to highly specific causes.

Psychologists have long been interested in the problems of children, but in the last 20 years this interest has increased dramatically. The in­ tensified focus on clinical child psychology reflects an increased belief that many adult problems have their origin in childhood and that early treatment is often more effective than treatment at later ages, but it also seems to reflect an increased feeling that children are inherently important in their own right. As a result of this shift in emphasis, the number of publications on this topic has multiplied to the extent that even full-time specialists have not been able to keep abreast of all new developments. Researchers in the more basic fields of child psychol­ ogy have a variety of annual publications and journals to integrate research in their areas, but there is a marked need for such an integra­ tive publication in the applied segment of child and developmental psychology. Advances in Clinical Child Psychology is a serial publication designed to bring together original summaries of the most important developments each year in the field. Each chapter is written by a key figure in an innovative area of research or practice or by an individual who is particularly well qualified to comment on a topic of major contemporary importance. Each author has followed the stan­ dard format in which his or her area of research was reviewed and the clinical implications of the studies were made explicit.

Advances in Clinical Child Psychology is a serial publication designed to provide researchers and clinicians with a medium for discussing new and innovative approaches to the problems of children. In this fourth volume, a group of highly distinguished authors have described advanc­ ing knowledge in a number of critical areas of applied child psychology. These include childhood depression, drug abuse, social skills deficits, community-living skills, the genetics of childhood behavior disorders, and affective states in children. In addition, major statements on new approaches to the assessment of dysfunctional family systems and the social skills of children, as well as the increasingly important methodol­ ogy of epidemiology, are included in this volume. These chapters pro­ vide a synopsis of many of the most important advances in the field of clinical child psychology. The quality of a series of this sort is, of course, due to the quality of the contributing authors. We feel very fortunate indeed, therefore, to have been able to entice such a distinguished group of authors to con­ tribute to this volume. We are also most appreciative of the guidance and assistance of the consulting editors who provided us with ideas for chapter topics and authors and who carefully reviewed and edited each chapter. We also express our hearty thanks to Leonard R. Pace of Plenum whose expertise and support has always been generously given. BENJAMIN B. LAHEY ALAN E. KAZDIN ix Contents The Epidemiology of Child Psychopathology 1 William Yule 1. Introduction ............................................ .