Susan B. Campbell – författare

Why do some children grow into resilient, adaptive adults, while others develop serious psychological problems? What are the dynamic processes and pathways that underlie normal and abnormal development? And how can the answers to these questions inform efforts to decrease both the prevalence and the severity of psychological distress? Focusing on the primary context in which children develop--the family--this volume unravels the complex connections among biological, psychological, and social-contextual processes that influence adaptation in childhood and adolescence. Explicating the basic concepts and methods of developmental psychopathology, the book sets forth a process-oriented framework for understanding human development and the onset of disordered behavior.

Developmental psychopathology seeks to unravel the complex connections among biological, psychological, and social-contextual aspects of normal and abnormal development. This volume presents the core and cutting-edge principles of the field in an integrative, accessible manner. The investigatory lens is focused on the primary context in which children develop--the family. Reviewing current research in such areas as attachment and parenting styles, marital functioning, and parental depression, the volume examines how these variables may influence developmental processes across a range of domains and, in turn, predict the emergence of clinical problems. Illuminated are the interplay of risk and protective factors, biological and contextual influences, and continuous and discontinuous patterns of development in childhood and adolescence. Also considered in depth are the ways in which the developmental psychopathology perspective points to new directions in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of child emotional and behavioral disorders. Featuring a wealth of figures, tables, and illustrative vignettes, this is a valuable source book for practititioners, scholars, and other professionals in mental health and related disciplines. It will also serve as a text in graduate-level courses on developmental psychopathology and clinical child psychology.