The last 50 years have witnessed enormous strides in the measurement and classification of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. Debates about whether we should continue to depend upon a categorical nosology still continue, but we argue that, despite the absence of clear dividing lines between psychiatric disorders and normality and ubiquity…

It is argued that self-injury should be conceptualized within accepted diagnostic schemes prevalent in the United States and abroad. This approach would more clearly emphasize to practitioners the nature of the problem and would legitimize it for reimbursement by third party payers. (Author/CL)

Reviews studies of observed psychological dysfunctions of post-World War II and Hungarian refugees; the factors influencing the refugee experience; the research methods used to study Cuban and Indochinese refugees; and the treatments employed for different refugee groups. Argues for the use of behavioral descriptions of refugee symptomatology.…

The issues raised by Jonker and Jonker-Bakker and Young et al (EC 601 187-188) illustrate a major controversy dividing the child abuse community, the alleged existence of a conspiracy of satanic, ritual, sexual abuse of children. No evidence is found to support claims that large numbers of babies and children are being sacrificed or abused in…

Demonstrates that narcissism - as a personality type and pathological disorder - denotes a way of being in the world that is primarily if not exclusively experienced by men. Suggests that a particular form of family structure underlies the development of narcissism in men and cultivates asymmetrical yet intersecting problems in women. (Author/ABB)

A 13-year-old boy presents with treatment-resistant symptoms of major depression. This is his first episode of depression, initially treated with 200 mg sertraline for 12 weeks with no significant benefit. The severe depression has shown a partial response to weekly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and fluoxetine, which was titrated up to 60 mg…

Suggests that counselors of all types need an understanding of and an ability to work with issues described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Explains that the traditional approach to the DSM-IV tends to locate the problem in the client, whereas the developmental approach focuses on the client in social and historical…

Qualifications are proposed in applying a diagnosis of psychopathic personality that considers impulsivity, feelings of remorse, and thrill seeking. Depth interviews with rock climbers and high-speed motorcyclists revealed that thrill seeking itself may not be a reliable indicator of psychopathy. (Author/TE)

Research in the field of developmental disabilities has found direct links between severity of a personality trait or psychopathology and particular pathology of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). From studies of behavior phenotypes, new psychiatric disorders are being recognized, such as Williams syndrome. The formulation of valid behavior…

In terms of a dialectical model, the person-situation context is viewed as inseparable and necessarily interdependent. The very diagnostic categories used in the profession are as subject to the zeit geist as are the character structure and behavior of the individual. The evolving diagnostic categories as codified in the "Diagnostic and…

This review of instruments for assessing psychopathology and behavior problems in people with mental retardation characterizes evaluation tools in such terms as age groups encompassed, levels of mental retardation, number of domains, and types of raters used. The structure of maladaptive behavior is described, and several instruments are…

Offers a response to Albert Ellis' critique of social constructionist models in mental health counseling. Focuses on views of reality and on the distinctions between content and process, and examines formal and informal content. Likewise clarifies viewpoints on diagnosis and the client/counselor relationship. (EMK)

The role of family relational problems in the assessment and treatment of psychopathology in children, including the relationship between family and individual disorders, is considered. The study of family relational problems is placed in historical and theoretical contexts and in relationship to assessment issues. Current diagnosis and…

Presents an overview of a developmental structuralist model based on integration of psychoanalytic and Piagetian developmental psychology. Includes discussion of patterns and insights from a clinical-descriptive intervention study of multirisk families and suggests lines for future research. (RH)

Presents an integrated clinical approach, based on a developmental, structuralist framework, to classify adaptive and pathological personality organizations and behaviors in infants and preschool children. (Author/DB)