PSYCH317 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Developmental Psychopathology, Effective Schools, Psychopathology

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH317
• Professor: Elizabeth Nilsen

Document Summary

It is difficult to define child psychopathology, there is a lack of consensus in the definition. Wakefield defines psychopathology as harmful dysfunction , therefore child psychopathology causes harm or deprivation of benefit to the child, as judged by social norms, and results from the failure of some internal mechanism to perform natural function. Risk: risk factors are variables that precede a negative outcome and increase the chances that the outcome will occur. Typically involves acute, stressful situation, as well as chronic adversity. Resilience: the ability to avoid negative outcomes despite being at risk for psychopathology. Associated with strong self-confidence, coping skills, ability to avoid risk situations, ability to fights off or recover from misfortune. Factors affecting rates and expression include age differences, socioeconomic status, sex differences, ethnicity, culture, rural/urban living, and maltreatment. Developmental psychopathology is the study of origins and course of individual patterns of behaviour maladaptation.