Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology (8e)

A sensitive and thorough approach to childhood behavior disorders.

Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology presents a comprehensive, research-based introduction to understanding child and adolescent psychopathology. The authors provide a logically formatted and easy to understand text that covers the central issues and theoretical and methodological foundations of childhood behavior disorders.

Rich with illustrations and examples, this text highlights the newest areas of research and clinical work, stressing supported treatments and the prevention of behavior problems of youth.

Learning Goals

Upon completing this book, readers will be able to:

• Understand the psychological problems found in children and adolescents
• Understand methods of treatment and prevention for childhood behavior disorders
• Discuss issues related to childhood behavior disorders

Chapter 2 The Developmental Psychopathology Perspective

Chapter 3 Influences and Risks in the Developmental Process

Chapter 4 Research: Its Role and Methods

Chapter 5 Classification, Assessment, and Treatment

Chapter 6 Anxiety Disorders

Chapter 7 Mood Disorders

Chapter 8 Conduct Problems

Chapter 9 Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Chapter 10 Language and Learning Disorders

Chapter 11 Mental Retardation

Chapter 12 Autism and Schizophrenia

Chapter 13 Disorders of Basic Physical Functions

Chapter 14 Psychological Factors Affecting Medical Condition

Chapter 15 Evolving Concerns for Youth

• The content of this edition that has been updated points to new findings and issues, while confirming or extending previous findings in various ways.
• This edition captures the heightened interest in how best to classify and diagnose psychological problems: More attention is paid to the ways in which the DSM has continued to evolve. The authors also focus more on how the dimensional approach has informed, and is likely to continue informing, developments in the classification of psychopathology of youth.
• The substantial progress made in understanding the causes of psychopathology is now exemplified across the chapters of the text. Special attention is given to etiological models of problem behavior.
• Increased and updated consideration is given to neurological findings, particularly those from brain imaging studies.
• Genetic processes and new findings that implicate gene effects and their interaction with the environment receive greater attention in this edition.
• The complex roles of the family and peers within the transaction of multiple influences are given greater attention.
• Increased attention is given to the role of gender in psychopathology, including differences in symptoms, outcomes, and prevalence. The factors that may underlie these differences are also discussed.
• Increased attention is also given to the various roles of culture, ethnicity, and race in psychopathology.
• The notable progress being made in the prevention of disorders is reflected in new findings and extended discussions. The authors discuss how early intervention efforts, such as those for reading disability and autism, can be viewed as merging prevention and treatment.
• Examples of specific individual and family treatments are now generously woven throughout the chapters, with emphasis on evidence-based intervention.
• Increased attention is given to efforts to improve accessibility of evidence-based treatments, how such treatments can be disseminated from research to “real-world” settings, and the role that technology may play in these efforts.
• Special consideration is given to specific problems that have become of high social interest, such as terrorism and war, poverty, child maltreatment, substance use, and bullying or victimization.
• Discussion of controversial issues has been updated and expanded. These topicsinclude use of medication in children, vaccines as a cause of autism, and the effects of children with intellectual disability in regular rather than special education classrooms. 
• MySearchLab with eText can be packaged with this text.
• MySearchLab provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals.
• eText – Just like the printed text, you can highlight and add notes to the eText or download it to your iPad.
• Assessment – Chapter quizzes and flashcards offer immediate feedback and report directly to the gradebook.
• Writing and Research – A wide range of writing, grammar and research tools and access to a variety of academic journals, census data, Associated Press newsfeeds, and discipline-specific readings help you hone your writing and research skills.
• Create a Custom Text: For enrollments of at least 25, create your own textbook by combining chapters from best-selling Pearson textbooks and/or reading selections in the sequence you want. To begin building your custom text, visit www.pearsoncustomlibrary.com. You may also work with a dedicated Pearson Custom editor to create your ideal text—publishing your own original content or mixing and matching Pearson content. Contact your Pearson Publisher’s Representative to get started.

• The text is organized around the following five themes:
• Developmental Psychopathology: Viewing the problems of youth within a developmental context is partnered with the more traditional disorders approach, which underscores descriptions of the symptoms, causes, and treatments of disorders.
• Multiple Transactional Influences: The authors present the view that behavioral problems stem from multiple influences and their continuous interactions.
• The Individual in Context: This theme emphasizes that the problems of the young are intricately tied to the social and cultural contexts in which young people experience life.
• The Empirical Approach: Empirical approaches that rely on scientific method provide an avenue for understanding the complexity of human behavior.
• The Person at the Center: Concern for the optimal development of the child or adolescent is given emphasis throughout the text.
• Looking Forward features at the beginning of each chapter focus students’ attention on the central issues or learning objectives to be addressed.
• Case descriptions and accounts of assessment and treatment are found throughout the text.
• Accents features allow for detailed discussion of particular topics of interest, including fetal alcohol syndrome, infant mental health, ADHD in African-American boys, and the stigma linked to the term “mental retardation.”
• Illustrations, including graphs, tables, photos, and drawings, are plentiful to enhance readability without cluttering the text.
• A Summary at the end of each chapter mirrors the Looking Forward features that start the chapter and allows students to review what they have learned.
• Key Terms lists conclude each chapter. Important or new terms also appear in color in the text.
• An Instructor’s Manual, Test Bank, and highly visual PowerPoint Slides are available to support instructors.
• MySearchLab with eText can be packaged with this text.
• MySearchLab provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals.
• eText – Just like the printed text, you can highlight and add notes to the eText or download it to your iPad.
• Assessment – Chapter quizzes and flashcards offer immediate feedback and report directly to the gradebook.
• Writing and Research – A wide range of writing, grammar and research tools and access to a variety of academic journals, census data, Associated Press newsfeeds, and discipline-specific readings help you hone your writing and research skills.
• Create a Custom Text: For enrollments of at least 25, create your own textbook by combining chapters from best-selling Pearson textbooks and/or reading selections in the sequence you want. To begin building your custom text, visit www.pearsoncustomlibrary.com. You may also work with a dedicated Pearson Custom editor to create your ideal text—publishing your own original content or mixing and matching Pearson content. Contact your Pearson Publisher’s Representative to get started.