Robert T. Ammerman – författare

During the past decade, a dramatic increase in research and clinical interest has risen in child abuse and neglect. This recent growth in awareness isdue at leastpartly to thealarmingstatisticsdocumentingthe incidence of child maltreatment. Almost one million children are re­ ported to be abused and neglected each year, and many experts believe that this figure underestimates the true incidence. Indeed, recentsurveys suggest that almost 1. 5 million children are the targets of domestic vio­ lence every year. A significantproportion of these children die as a func­ tion of this maltreatment, whereas theremaindersuffera variety ofshort­ and long-term deleterious medicaland psychosocial consequences. Child maltreatment is a universal problem that has precipitated a mobilization of effort from a variety of disciplines, including psychology, medicine, psychiatry, social work, sociology, and criminology. Particular attention has been directed toward the prevention and treatment of childabuse and neglect. Such endeavors require the screen­ ing of large groups in order to identify families that are at high-risk for engaging in such behavior. Delineating those characteristics that differ­ entiate high- from low-risk families and children is one of the obvious priorities for researchers and clinicians in the future. This book, there­ fore, carefully considers the status of research on risk factors of abuse and neglect in children. Adduced data undoubtedly will have practical value for subsequent intervention efforts.

The past 20 years have seen the emergence of family violence as one of the most critical problems facing society. The alarming incidence figures of abuse and neglect directed toward family members justify this atten­ tion. For example, over 1 million children are thought to be abused and neglected each year. Similarly, almost 2 million women are victims of wife battering each year. Annual rates of elderly mistreatment are thought to be as high as 32 per 1000 population. Accurate epidemiologi­ cal data only now are being compiled on more recently recognized forms of mistreatment, such as psychological abuse, ritualistic abuse of chil­ dren, and child witnessing of adult violence. The pervasiveness of do­ mestic mistreatment makes it a priority for clinicians and researchers alike. For clinicians, intrafamilial violence represents a formidable chal­ lenge with respect to assessment and treatment. The etiology of abuse and neglect is multidetermined. There are numerous pathways in the development of family violence, and these interact and converge in a nonlinear fashion. The consequences of family violence are equally com­ plex and divergent. Victims of mistreatment can display a variety of physical injuries and psychological disturbances. No single psychiatric syndrome or symptom constellation has been consistently implicated in any form of family mistreatment. The perpetrators of family violence are equally heterogeneous in their clinical presentations. Illustrative dys­ functions in perpetrators include skill deficits, substance abuse, mental illness, and impulse-control disorders.

This book could not have been conceptualized or published 20 years ago. Indeed, it is doubtful that we could have organized the material for this handbook 10 years ago. Over the last 20 years, however, the painstaking efforts of many clinical researchers working with a variety of resistive psychopathologies have resulted in specific psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies that are effective with a significant propor­ tion of patients, at least for some of the disorders. Much clinical research remains to be carried out in the forthcoming decades. But now that we are nearing the 21st century, at least some statement about efficacy can be made. In 1967, Gordon Paul succinctly stated that the ultimate goal of treatment outcome research is to determine "What treatment, by whom, is most effective for this individual with that specific problem, and under which set of circumstances" (p. 111). At that time, empirical evaluations of psychosocial and pharmacologic treatments were few and far between. Methodological strategies for determining treatment effectiveness were also in the formative stage, as exemplified by introduc­ tion of control groups that received inactive interventions (i. e. , placebo) and the relatively recent practice of comparing two or more treatments in addition to placebo. In the almost three decades since Paul's oft-quoted dictum, both the quantity and the quality of treatment outcome research with adults have increased dramati­ cally.

A review of the literature pertaining to the neurobehavioral pharmacology of abusable drugs, it surveys each of the 11 classes of addictive drugs from the perspectives of neurological, behavioral, and clinical pharmacology. Designed to serve as a companion text to the DSM-IV manual, the handbook provides comprehensive information about each drug and drug class having abuse potential with respect to their pharmaceutical mechanisms and actions.

Since the publication of the first edition in 1991, there has been substantial progress in our understanding of the etiology and associated features of domestic violence. As in the first edition, this book elucidates and highlights the complex multidisciplinary issues facing clinicians who work with family violence cases. Each chapter combines two illustrative cases with a broader discussion of the issues that are encountered by clinicians working with families that engage in abuse or neglect.

Since the publication of the first edition in 1991, there has been substantial progress in our understanding of the etiology and associated features of domestic violence. As in the first edition, this book elucidates and highlights the complex multidisciplinary issues facing clinicians who work with family violence cases. Each chapter combines two illustrative cases with a broader discussion of the issues that are encountered by clinicians working with families that engage in abuse or neglect.

In this issue of Pediatric Clinics of North America, guest editors Drs. Robert T. Ammerman and Craig Erickson bring their considerable expertise to the topic of Innovative Approaches to Addressing Pediatric Mental Health in Primary Care. Pediatric primary care is at the forefront of identification and referral to treatment for mental health problems in children and adolescents, and has recently taken a leading role in prevention and treatment of mental health problems. This issue covers the range of new strategies and interventions for pediatricians and pediatric health care professionals to support behavioral health in children and adolescents.

Practical and insightful strategies to help children thrive in adverse living conditions Clinicians striving to intervene and provide treatment for children living under adverse circumstances often find themselves fighting a losing battle with forces beyond their control-drugs, disease, violence, and poverty-which reflect the everyday reality for these children and their families. In Handbook of Prevention and Treatment with Children and Adolescents, internationally recognized experts lay out state-of-the-art, empirically evaluated intervention strategies that deal directly with the sociodemographic forces that promote dysfunction and undermine treatment outcomes. Focusing on the issues and challenges faced by clinicians, this groundbreaking book provides practical, real-world solutions designed to mitigate the influence of negative environmental factors. Coverage includes:* The destructive influence of poverty and other social ills on child development* Specific intervention formats and settings-from individual treatment to school- and community-based programs* Particular problem areas and psychiatric disorders* Early intervention and preventive approaches for such behavioral issues as substance abuse, antisocial behavior, and sexually transmitted diseases* Recommendations for treatment of specific psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress

Child Psychopathology presents an overview of the classification and diagnosis; genetic, sociological, and neuropsychiatric influences; and research and behavioral considerations of psychopathology in infants and children. This state-of-the-art volume also includes the latest research on the major childhood disorders and discusses the three most popular treatment approaches.

A comprehensive work on the nature, causes, assessment and treatment of child psychopathology. Balancing both theory and treatment, and relying primarily on the empirical literature, this updated edition incorporates both psychological and biological determinants and strategies.

It is generally acknowledged that the most cost-effective means of curtailing alcohol and drug abuse is prevention. Providing interventions to at-risk individuals before they develop serious problems with substance use is the most important component of the "war on drugs." Fortunately, the past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the quantity and quality of scientific research on those areas crucial to the advancement of prevention science.This book compiles a tremendous amount of information about prevention which has accumulated in recent years. Documenting these accomplishments and setting the stage for future efforts comprise the focus of this book. Prevention and Societal Impact of Drug and Alcohol Abuse is divided into four parts. Part I contains introductory chapters addressing current issues in prevention science and characteristics of abusable substances. Part II includes chapters on the historical contexts of substance abuse and the deleterious health consequences of alcohol and other drugs. Part III focuses on the impact of drug and alcohol abuse on society. Included are chapters on alcohol and drug abuse and driving, infectious illness, disability, managed care, the criminal justice system and adolescents and adults, sale and distribution, the media, and community responses. Part IV consists of chapters on prevention in specific settings and with certain populations.

It is generally acknowledged that the most cost-effective means of curtailing alcohol and drug abuse is prevention. Providing interventions to at-risk individuals before they develop serious problems with substance use is the most important component of the "war on drugs." Fortunately, the past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the quantity and quality of scientific research on those areas crucial to the advancement of prevention science.This book compiles a tremendous amount of information about prevention which has accumulated in recent years. Documenting these accomplishments and setting the stage for future efforts comprise the focus of this book. Prevention and Societal Impact of Drug and Alcohol Abuse is divided into four parts. Part I contains introductory chapters addressing current issues in prevention science and characteristics of abusable substances. Part II includes chapters on the historical contexts of substance abuse and the deleterious health consequences of alcohol and other drugs. Part III focuses on the impact of drug and alcohol abuse on society. Included are chapters on alcohol and drug abuse and driving, infectious illness, disability, managed care, the criminal justice system and adolescents and adults, sale and distribution, the media, and community responses. Part IV consists of chapters on prevention in specific settings and with certain populations.

During the past decade, a dramatic increase in research and clinical interest has risen in child abuse and neglect. This recent growth in awareness isdue at leastpartly to thealarmingstatisticsdocumentingthe incidence of child maltreatment. Almost one million children are re­ ported to be abused and neglected each year, and many experts believe that this figure underestimates the true incidence. Indeed, recentsurveys suggest that almost 1. 5 million children are the targets of domestic vio­ lence every year. A significantproportion of these children die as a func­ tion of this maltreatment, whereas theremaindersuffera variety ofshort­ and long-term deleterious medicaland psychosocial consequences. Child maltreatment is a universal problem that has precipitated a mobilization of effort from a variety of disciplines, including psychology, medicine, psychiatry, social work, sociology, and criminology. Particular attention has been directed toward the prevention and treatment of childabuse and neglect. Such endeavors require the screen­ ing of large groups in order to identify families that are at high-risk for engaging in such behavior. Delineating those characteristics that differ­ entiate high- from low-risk families and children is one of the obvious priorities for researchers and clinicians in the future. This book, there­ fore, carefully considers the status of research on risk factors of abuse and neglect in children. Adduced data undoubtedly will have practical value for subsequent intervention efforts.

A review of the literature pertaining to the neurobehavioral pharmacology of abusable drugs, this is the only book to survey each of the eleven classes of addictive drugs from the perspectives of neurological, behavioral, and clinical pharmacology. Designed to serve as a companion text to the DSM-IV manual, the Handbook provides comprehensive information about each drug and drug class having abuse potential with respect to their pharmaceutical mechanisms and actions.

Scarcely a day passes without the media detailing some form of human aggression, whether it be on its grandest scale in the form of war, random bombings and shootings in the streets, torture in a prison camp, murder by gangs, wife abuse resulting in the murder of the husband, or the physical abuse of children, sometimes resulting in their death.

In 1967, Gordon Paul succinctly stated that the ultimate goal of treatment outcome research is to determine "What treatment, by whom, is most effective for this individual with that specific problem, and under which set of circumstances" (p.