ABSTRACT
A 20 item observational measure of social functioning, the Impression of Interviewee rating scale, is one of three measures devised to assess the broader autism phenotype. The sample studied included families containing at least two individuals with autism spectrum disorder; observations were undertaken by the researcher who interviewed the subject. An exploratory factor analysis suggested a single factor was most appropriate (Cronbach's α of 0.78). There was a modest but significant retest correlation of 0.42. Correlations between live ratings and blind consensus ratings of vignettes were high (0.93). Correlations with the interview measures were moderate but statistically significant. In conclusion, the observational scale provides a promising start but further work is required before general use can be recommended.
Subject(s)
Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/diagnosis , Social Adjustment , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Family , Female , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Male , Middle Aged , Phenotype , Reproducibility of Results , Social Behavior , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The sequelae of profound early privation are varied. AIMS: To delineate the behavioural patterns that are specifically associated with institutional privation. METHOD: A group of 165 children adopted from Romania before the age of 42 months were compared at 4 years and 6 years with 52 non-deprived UK children adopted in infancy. Dysfunction was assessed for seven domains of functioning. The groups were compared on which, and how many, domains were impaired. RESULTS: Attachment problems, inattention/overactivity, quasi-autistic features and cognitive impairment were associated with institutional privation, but emotional difficulties, poor peer relationships and conduct problems were not. Nevertheless, one-fifth of children who spent the longest time in institutions showed normal functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Attachment disorder behaviours, inattention/overactivity and quasi-autistic behaviour constitute institutional privation patterns.
Subject(s)
Child Behavior Disorders/etiology , Child, Institutionalized/psychology , Psychosocial Deprivation , Adoption/ethnology , Adoption/psychology , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child Behavior Disorders/diagnosis , Child Behavior Disorders/ethnology , Child, Preschool , Cluster Analysis , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Romania/ethnology , United KingdomABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Despite strong claims that 'genetic theory' should replace 'socialisation theory', there are good grounds for taking seriously the notion that there are psychosocial influences on child psychopathology. AIMS: To re-evaluate this issue in the light of developments over the past half-century. METHOD: A wide-ranging review of topics related to this issue, 1948-1998. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The findings are used to consider the challenges still to be met as we enter the next century. It is argued that it is necessary to put aside the absurd brain-mind dualisms of the past.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/history , Psychology, Social/history , Child , Child Development , Child Rearing , Forecasting , History, 20th Century , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Life Change Events , Mental Disorders/genetics , Mental Disorders/psychology , Parent-Child Relations , Risk Assessment , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
The application of structural equation modeling to twin data is used to assess the impact of genetic and environmental factors on children's behavioral and emotional functioning. The models are applied to the maternal ratings of behavior of a subsample of 515 monozygotic and 749 dizygotic juvenile twin pairs, ages 8 through 16, obtained through mailed questionnaires as part of the Medical College of Virginia Adolescent Behavioral Development Twin Project. The importance of genetic, shared, and specific environmental factors for explaining variation is reported for both externalizing and internalizing behaviors, as well as significant differences in the causes of variation in externalizing behaviors among young boys and girls. The usefulness of applying structural equation models to data on monozygotic and dizygotic twins and the potential implications for addressing clinically relevant questions regarding the causes of psychopathology are discussed.
Subject(s)
Affective Symptoms/epidemiology , Child Behavior Disorders/epidemiology , Diseases in Twins , Models, Statistical , Personality Assessment/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Affective Symptoms/genetics , Affective Symptoms/psychology , Child , Child Behavior Disorders/genetics , Child Behavior Disorders/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Psychometrics , Social Environment , Twins, Dizygotic/genetics , Twins, Dizygotic/psychology , Twins, Monozygotic/genetics , Twins, Monozygotic/psychologyABSTRACT
The summaries of clinical data on children attending the Maudsley Hospital during the years 1968-72 were used to identify 80 children meeting operational criteria for depression, and 80 matched psychiatric control children. At follow-up, on average 18 years after the initial contact, information was obtained on the adult outcomes of 62 of the depressed children and 69 of the controls. At least one first-degree relative of 111 (85%) of these probands was interviewed; the great majority of interviews with relatives were conducted 'blind' to the proband's symptoms in both childhood and adulthood. The lifetime prevalence of RDC depression was significantly higher in the 128 interviewed relatives of the depressed children than in the 151 relatives of the controls. Higher rates of depression were found among the female relatives of both the depressed and control probands. These findings suggest that depression in young people resembles depression in adults in two key respects: it tends to run in families, and there are higher rates of depression among the female than among the male first-degree relatives.
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Depressive Disorder/diagnosis , Family , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
Autism is a severe disorder of development characterized by abnormalities in communication, social relationships and patterns of behaviour. This paper reviews the concepts of autism as they have developed over time in relation to research findings showing it to be an organic disorder, involving cognitive deficits, and which is largely genetically determined. Current research is focusing on the ways in which underlying brain abnormalities, genetic factors, neuropsychological deficits and behavioural manifestations are interconnected.
Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder/etiology , Autistic Disorder/diagnosis , Autistic Disorder/psychology , Child , Child, Preschool , Communication , Humans , Intelligence , Interpersonal Relations , Language Development Disorders/diagnosis , Language Development Disorders/etiology , Language Development Disorders/psychology , Social BehaviorABSTRACT
A review of the current literature suggests that genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of autism. It is likely that the etiology of currently idiopathic cases of autism will be shown to be heterogeneous, just as the few known etiologies are both environmental and genetic. Moreover, we would speculate that within the group of cases shown to have genetic etiologies, more than one genetic locus will be found. Some evidence suggests that quite often it is not autism itself that is inherited but rather some genetic abnormality of language or sociability that interacts with other factors to produce autism.
Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder/genetics , Intellectual Disability/genetics , Autistic Disorder/complications , Child , Child, Preschool , Cognition Disorders/genetics , Female , Fragile X Syndrome , Genetic Counseling , Humans , Infant , Intellectual Disability/complications , Male , Neurofibromatosis 1/complications , Pedigree , Phenylketonurias/complications , Tuberous Sclerosis/complications , TwinsABSTRACT
Developmental psychopathology constitutes a research strategy that is concerned with questions about continuities and discontinuities over time (the developmental perspective) and over the span of behavioural variation (the psychopathological perspective). The utility of this approach is discussed in relation to childhood depression, autism and schizophrenia, and the effects of adverse life experiences.
