AUTHOR: David Bornstein
PUBLICATION NAME: The New York Times
PUBLISH DATE: November 22, 2010
SUMMARY: As we all know, many children become victims of child abuse in their own homes. The Pediatric Hospital of Tacubaya, located in Mexico, housed a 8 year old boy in the burn unit. He was burned everywhere with a clothing iron then was tied to a water heater in the basement by his aunt and uncle. Many therapists asked what had happened but the boy refused to answer. This is because in his mind, he is afraid if he says what had happened he would get in trouble and get hurt again. So a therapist decided to use Dulas.
Dulas is a cartoon created by Julia Borbolla, a Mexican psychologist. This cartoon was created to be an alien from another planet who knows nothing, hoping to get answers from the kids, the kids will eventually gain trust from this cartoon. The cartoon is controlled by doctors viewing the session and when spoken, the voice transform into a goofy voice for the cartoon. Eventually the young boy started to talk about his life. How his mother and father died and was left to be raised by his aunt and uncle.
After the first session with Dulas, when the boy was called to talk to the therapist he asked for Dulas. This method spread through out the country and a bit of the world in many hospitals. Naturally children have a fear of adults, especially if they've been abused by them and have trust issues. But with a kiddy cartoon always asking questions all kids know, they seem to put more trust in one who acts closer to their age and lacks knowledge of many things making the child feel superior and willing to tell the cartoon anything.
ARTICLE: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/a-safe-haven-in-cartoon-confidantes/?ref=psychology_and_psychologists
SUBMITTED BY: Shannen Quibuyen
Showing posts with label 03 Developing Through the Life Span. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 03 Developing Through the Life Span. Show all posts
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Does Moving a Child Create Adult Baggage?
Author: Pamela Paul
Publication Name: The New York Times
Date of Publication: July 9, 2010
Summary:
Article:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/fashion/11StudiedMoving.html?ref=psychology_and_psychologists
Submitted By: Tina Nguyen
Publication Name: The New York Times
Date of Publication: July 9, 2010
Summary:
Research has shown that a variety of adult problems has stemmed from moving houses in one’s adolescent life. Psychologist, sociologists, and epidemiologists notice that children that move often do worse in school and have behavioral problems than children that are stationary.
Americans are a highly mobile bunch and according to Professor Oishi, “American levels of well-being can be explained in part by residential differences.” People that move frequently say they have less “quality relationships.” People that moved a lot as children were reported to have less “self-satisfaction” and “well-being” as adults. These are the two characteristics used to measure adult happiness.
However the personality of the child also matters, whether they are introverted or extroverted. Those that are extroverted tend to remain the same while introverts are more deeply impacted. It is shown that a child reacts differently to the different reasons for moving. Military children handle moving better because children in military schools are in the same situation. However, relocation due to a job may adversely affect a child as well as relocation due to divorce or foreclosure because of the financial and relationship problems that may follow.
The age group that it affects the most though is the kids that are still in middle school. Being a pre-teenager with hormones and puberty is already a lot to handle. Adding in moving to a different place makes the tween years so much more appealing. Middle school kids will be more affected than older kids or younger kids in high school or elementary school.
Links to Study: N/AArticle:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/fashion/11StudiedMoving.html?ref=psychology_and_psychologists
Submitted By: Tina Nguyen
TV Watching is Bad for Babies' Brains
AUTHOR: Nancy Shute
PUBLICATION NAME: US News & World Report
DATE OF PUBLICATION: December 7, 2010
SUMMARY: A study done in New York which followed 259 low-income (and mostly primary Spanish-speaking) families showed that babies around the age of 14 months who watched television for an hour daily had developmental scores lower that those of babies whose television-watching activities were limited. These results contradict what many parents allow their children to do: watch excessive television. Previous studies that focused on higher-income families showed similar results, refuting that argument that socioeconomic status matters in this study. This research also shows that television stunts developmental growth when babies are exposed at an age of 2 years or less (basically meaning all those Baby Einstein videos may be useless). A link between children who do not read (or whose parents do not read to them) and children who watch non-educational television has been established. Many should be aware of this study, because many are addicted to television and are passing it on to their children, and this research shows television is not good for developing children and babies!
LINKS TO STUDY: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17261478
ARTICLE:http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/12/07/tv-watching-is-bad-for-babies-brains.html
SUBMITTED BY: Bettina Pancho
PUBLICATION NAME: US News & World Report
DATE OF PUBLICATION: December 7, 2010
SUMMARY: A study done in New York which followed 259 low-income (and mostly primary Spanish-speaking) families showed that babies around the age of 14 months who watched television for an hour daily had developmental scores lower that those of babies whose television-watching activities were limited. These results contradict what many parents allow their children to do: watch excessive television. Previous studies that focused on higher-income families showed similar results, refuting that argument that socioeconomic status matters in this study. This research also shows that television stunts developmental growth when babies are exposed at an age of 2 years or less (basically meaning all those Baby Einstein videos may be useless). A link between children who do not read (or whose parents do not read to them) and children who watch non-educational television has been established. Many should be aware of this study, because many are addicted to television and are passing it on to their children, and this research shows television is not good for developing children and babies!
LINKS TO STUDY: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17261478
ARTICLE:http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/12/07/tv-watching-is-bad-for-babies-brains.html
SUBMITTED BY: Bettina Pancho
Hey stupid! How your eating habits can make you dumb.
AUTHOR: Susan Carnell, Ph.D.
PUBLICATION NAME: Psychology Today
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 10, 2009
SUMMARY: It has long been known that nutrition can affect your mental and physical capacity. Without the proper nutrients, your body becomes weaker and less capable of regular tasks. But, there is also evidence that what we eat can effect the how we think.
A study was conducted to prove this idea. Researchers fed rats a high-fat diet for ten days and found that, not only were they exhausted after slight exercise, they became more forgetful and less successful at finding rewards in a maze.
Another study was conducted on elderly obese and thin people. Interestingly, the brains of the obese showed greater shrinkage of the temporal, frontal, and subcortical areas than those of the lean people. Taking into account the fact the diabetes has a similar affect on the brain, the researchers still found that weight played a role in the atrophy.
On the other hand, not eating enough fats can also cause problems with the function of the brain. Anorexic patients actually perform worse at tasks which test the flexible thinking of the prefrontal cortex. Also, women who claim to be dieting to lose weight tend to have slower reaction times and poorer recall in word memory tests.
Basically, eating a healthy diet can keep your mind and body sharp, but don't stress too much over the things that you eat because that's never good.
LINKS TO STUDY: None
ARTICLE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bad-appetite/200910/hey-stupid-how-your-eating-habits-can-make-you-dumb
SUBMITTED BY: Rosemary Barrass
PUBLICATION NAME: Psychology Today
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 10, 2009
SUMMARY: It has long been known that nutrition can affect your mental and physical capacity. Without the proper nutrients, your body becomes weaker and less capable of regular tasks. But, there is also evidence that what we eat can effect the how we think.
A study was conducted to prove this idea. Researchers fed rats a high-fat diet for ten days and found that, not only were they exhausted after slight exercise, they became more forgetful and less successful at finding rewards in a maze.
Another study was conducted on elderly obese and thin people. Interestingly, the brains of the obese showed greater shrinkage of the temporal, frontal, and subcortical areas than those of the lean people. Taking into account the fact the diabetes has a similar affect on the brain, the researchers still found that weight played a role in the atrophy.
On the other hand, not eating enough fats can also cause problems with the function of the brain. Anorexic patients actually perform worse at tasks which test the flexible thinking of the prefrontal cortex. Also, women who claim to be dieting to lose weight tend to have slower reaction times and poorer recall in word memory tests.
Basically, eating a healthy diet can keep your mind and body sharp, but don't stress too much over the things that you eat because that's never good.
LINKS TO STUDY: None
ARTICLE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bad-appetite/200910/hey-stupid-how-your-eating-habits-can-make-you-dumb
SUBMITTED BY: Rosemary Barrass
Playing violent video games: Good or bad?
AUTHOR: Darcia Narvaez
PUBLICATION NAME: Psychology Today
DATE OF PUBLICATION: Nov 9, 2010
SUMMARY: The Supreme Court was looking at arguments for and against the banning of selling violent video games to minors. There are some things that children can only learn from play; therefore, it is important for children to be able to play, but violent video games may not be the best option.
Some people however, believe that video games may teach as much, or even more than traditional games. Video games are far more complex than games such as pack man. Some people claim that this encourages more intelligence. Children must try something until they finally get it. This teaches them problem solving, and some even claim that it teaches children the scientific method. Therefore, video games can be good for children, as long as they continue to have face-to-face relationships and interactions. Real life interactions are still important, because video game tend to use primarily the primitive brain, which is not social.
On the other hand, when violent behaviors are repeated hundreds, or even thousands of times, it teaches children to be violent. Video games are addictive, because they give immediate rewards. Any addictive behavior can harm the brain before it is fully developed. This can lead to lack of maturity and less empathy for others. Both are important in a person’s adult life.
The affects of violent media on children is stronger than the affect of tobacco, and therefore is often considered a health risk. Although there are many plusses for video games, violent video games take away the ability for children to think and feel proper empathy in their futures, and therefore should not be allowed.
LINKS TO STUDY: N/A
ARTICLE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201011/playing-violent-video-games-good-or-bad
SUBMITTED BY: Rachel Walker
PUBLICATION NAME: Psychology Today
DATE OF PUBLICATION: Nov 9, 2010
SUMMARY: The Supreme Court was looking at arguments for and against the banning of selling violent video games to minors. There are some things that children can only learn from play; therefore, it is important for children to be able to play, but violent video games may not be the best option.
Some people however, believe that video games may teach as much, or even more than traditional games. Video games are far more complex than games such as pack man. Some people claim that this encourages more intelligence. Children must try something until they finally get it. This teaches them problem solving, and some even claim that it teaches children the scientific method. Therefore, video games can be good for children, as long as they continue to have face-to-face relationships and interactions. Real life interactions are still important, because video game tend to use primarily the primitive brain, which is not social.
On the other hand, when violent behaviors are repeated hundreds, or even thousands of times, it teaches children to be violent. Video games are addictive, because they give immediate rewards. Any addictive behavior can harm the brain before it is fully developed. This can lead to lack of maturity and less empathy for others. Both are important in a person’s adult life.
The affects of violent media on children is stronger than the affect of tobacco, and therefore is often considered a health risk. Although there are many plusses for video games, violent video games take away the ability for children to think and feel proper empathy in their futures, and therefore should not be allowed.
LINKS TO STUDY: N/A
ARTICLE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201011/playing-violent-video-games-good-or-bad
SUBMITTED BY: Rachel Walker
Monday, December 6, 2010
Detecting Lies v. detecting truth - serious implications
AUTHOR: Joe Navarro
PUBLICATION NAME: Psychology Today
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 31, 2010
SUMMARY: Two hundred and sixty one people have been proven innocent by DNA testing in the United States since 1989. Seventeen of these people served time on death row. While these people were innocent, 25% of them admitted to committing the crime. In 100% of these cases, investigating officers were sure that these people were lying. People are generally very bad at reading non verbal language. We normally are right only 50% of the time, which is no better than chance. But in these 261 cases, each and every officer who was involved in the investigation was so sure of their ability to read these non-verbal signs that they would not consider the possibility of innocence. Often after many hours of interrogation (up to 12 hours), 25% of these people confessed. They had done nothing wrong, but they confessed to committing the crime anyway. This tells us that about 25% of people will admit to committing a crime they did not actually do in order to get out of an uncomfortable situation.
We realize now, that it is highly unreliable to judge a person for innocence or guilt based on what we see. If we are only right about half of the time, we might as well flip a coin. It is a scary thought that our system of justice is so flawed. We can convict people, even convincing them to confess, who are completely innocent. The very system that is attempting to keep us safe, is putting innocent people on death row.
LINKS TO STUDY: none
ARTICLE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/201010/detecting-lies-v-detecting-truth-serious-implications
SUBMITTED BY: Rachel Walker
PUBLICATION NAME: Psychology Today
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 31, 2010
SUMMARY: Two hundred and sixty one people have been proven innocent by DNA testing in the United States since 1989. Seventeen of these people served time on death row. While these people were innocent, 25% of them admitted to committing the crime. In 100% of these cases, investigating officers were sure that these people were lying. People are generally very bad at reading non verbal language. We normally are right only 50% of the time, which is no better than chance. But in these 261 cases, each and every officer who was involved in the investigation was so sure of their ability to read these non-verbal signs that they would not consider the possibility of innocence. Often after many hours of interrogation (up to 12 hours), 25% of these people confessed. They had done nothing wrong, but they confessed to committing the crime anyway. This tells us that about 25% of people will admit to committing a crime they did not actually do in order to get out of an uncomfortable situation.
We realize now, that it is highly unreliable to judge a person for innocence or guilt based on what we see. If we are only right about half of the time, we might as well flip a coin. It is a scary thought that our system of justice is so flawed. We can convict people, even convincing them to confess, who are completely innocent. The very system that is attempting to keep us safe, is putting innocent people on death row.
LINKS TO STUDY: none
ARTICLE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/201010/detecting-lies-v-detecting-truth-serious-implications
SUBMITTED BY: Rachel Walker
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Little League Training, Major League Problems
AUTHOR: ChiChi Madu
PUBLICATION NAME: Psychology Today
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 22, 2009
SUMMARY: Kids are getting recruited to sports at an earlier age. As sports get more and more competitive, the kids train at a younger age to try to get recruited more successfully. The kids do not play for the fun of the sport anymore but rather be trained harder, and harder. When accepted at an early age, the kids miss out on important events that would fortify them and know how to reaction in a certain situation. Since they miss these events, they do not know how to deal with them and many get mental illnesses. The pressure of being on the team and expected to do well is also very mentally straining. Even pro teams have the same issues with their players. At first, many coaches ignored their players mental health and only cared about their physical health, but then their players started becoming very depressed and had anxiety problems. They noticed they needed professional help for their professional players to succeed not only on the field, but also off. If professional players need psychologists to help them, then children also should have them, to avoid any future mental illnesses from occurring in their lives. This affects Psychology by providing new information regarding psychological behaviors for athletes and children to be athletes. This research does not counter any existing researches but supports them. When I was a kid I was also pressured to become a soccer player, I was not a good one but my mom made me play to be more healthy and for exercise.
LINKS TO STUDY: N/A
ARTICLE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200910/little-league-training-major-league-problems
SUBMITTED BY: Ryan Liu
PUBLICATION NAME: Psychology Today
DATE OF PUBLICATION: October 22, 2009
SUMMARY: Kids are getting recruited to sports at an earlier age. As sports get more and more competitive, the kids train at a younger age to try to get recruited more successfully. The kids do not play for the fun of the sport anymore but rather be trained harder, and harder. When accepted at an early age, the kids miss out on important events that would fortify them and know how to reaction in a certain situation. Since they miss these events, they do not know how to deal with them and many get mental illnesses. The pressure of being on the team and expected to do well is also very mentally straining. Even pro teams have the same issues with their players. At first, many coaches ignored their players mental health and only cared about their physical health, but then their players started becoming very depressed and had anxiety problems. They noticed they needed professional help for their professional players to succeed not only on the field, but also off. If professional players need psychologists to help them, then children also should have them, to avoid any future mental illnesses from occurring in their lives. This affects Psychology by providing new information regarding psychological behaviors for athletes and children to be athletes. This research does not counter any existing researches but supports them. When I was a kid I was also pressured to become a soccer player, I was not a good one but my mom made me play to be more healthy and for exercise.
LINKS TO STUDY: N/A
ARTICLE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200910/little-league-training-major-league-problems
SUBMITTED BY: Ryan Liu
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Does Adolescent Stress Lead to Mood Disorders in Adulthood?
AUTHOR: Science Daily Staff/Concordia University
PUBLICATION NAME: Science Daily
DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 4, 2010
SUMMARY: According to Concordia University’s recent research, stress may have a greater risk in our lives than we formerly thought. Over the years, there has been an increase in depression and stress rates and it has become a major health issue. The affect of depression on young people’s lives are gradually increasing and they are suffering earlier in life. Previous studies show that an early stage of stress can lead to depression or a bipolar disorder. According to the principle researcher Ellenbogen, children who have families that have been dealing with stress, depression, or a psychiatric disorder is said to have a much higher risk of battling with it in their lifetime. Not only are children inheriting these alarming traits from their parents, but also from their environment that they have been raised in. The environment could either be stressful and disordered and it is impacting the children's mental health in adolescence and adulthood. According to Ellenbogen’s recent findings, the cortisol, a stress hormone which is formed by the body in result to upsetting and stressful life events, has shown that the stress hormone can influence and develop a serious mood disorder in people’s lifetime. It has also shown that children of at-risk families have higher cortisol levels due to exposure to family stress and parenting style than children from families that are not battling with stress, depression, or disorders. Children that show high cortisol levels double their risk in developing and battling an alarming and major mood disorder in their adulthood.
LINKS TO STUDY: None
ARTICLE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101103135348.htm
SUBMITTED BY: Arielle Calara
PUBLICATION NAME: Science Daily
DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 4, 2010
SUMMARY: According to Concordia University’s recent research, stress may have a greater risk in our lives than we formerly thought. Over the years, there has been an increase in depression and stress rates and it has become a major health issue. The affect of depression on young people’s lives are gradually increasing and they are suffering earlier in life. Previous studies show that an early stage of stress can lead to depression or a bipolar disorder. According to the principle researcher Ellenbogen, children who have families that have been dealing with stress, depression, or a psychiatric disorder is said to have a much higher risk of battling with it in their lifetime. Not only are children inheriting these alarming traits from their parents, but also from their environment that they have been raised in. The environment could either be stressful and disordered and it is impacting the children's mental health in adolescence and adulthood. According to Ellenbogen’s recent findings, the cortisol, a stress hormone which is formed by the body in result to upsetting and stressful life events, has shown that the stress hormone can influence and develop a serious mood disorder in people’s lifetime. It has also shown that children of at-risk families have higher cortisol levels due to exposure to family stress and parenting style than children from families that are not battling with stress, depression, or disorders. Children that show high cortisol levels double their risk in developing and battling an alarming and major mood disorder in their adulthood.
LINKS TO STUDY: None
ARTICLE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101103135348.htm
SUBMITTED BY: Arielle Calara
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Can autism be diagnosed in infants? New study says yes.
AUTHOR: Robbie Woliver
PUBLICATION NAME: Psychology Today
DATE OF PUBLICATION: August 18, 2010
SUMMARY: At the University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland, doctors conducted a study with newborn babies. At first this study had nothing to do with detecting Autism, but soon doctors began to realize that there was a connection between a certain symptom that the babies had and Autism. Every baby that had this symptom was later diagnosed with autism later on in life. This possible discovery could prove to be very helpful to children with Autism because if it is detected earlier in a child's life, treatment can be given at an earlier age. This would greatly benefit children with Autism as Autism is usually detected around 3-5 years of age.
However, one of the limiting factors of this study is the fact that only very ill babies were included. The unit that was in charge of this study was the intensive care unit, so the only reason that the symptoms connected with Autism were detected was because of how closely each baby was being watched by doctors. Also, healthy babies were not included in this study.
This discovery could prove incredibly useful to future children with autism. If autism could potentially be diagnosed during a child's infancy, then treatment could be given earlier, which would help a child much more in their life.
LINKS TO STUDY: none listed
SUBMITTED BY: Kimmy Guzzetta
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Adolescent Brains Biologically Wired to Engage in Risky Behavior
AUTHOR: (Author unnamed) University of Texas at Austin, edited by ScienceDaily staff
PUBLICATION NAME: Science Daily
DATE OF PUBLICATION: June 6, 2010
SUMMARY:
As we all know, teenagers are known for making the most egregious mistakes and the riskiest of decisions. Could there be a true biological reason behind this stereotypical teenage behavior? Learning seems to rely on prediction error because if the world is exactly as you expected it to be, there is nothing new to learn.
Poldrack, a professor of psychology and neurology had stated, "Our results raise the hypothesis that these risky behaviors, such as experimenting with drugs or having unsafe sex, are actually driven by over activity in the mesolimbic dopamine system, a system which appears to be the final destination to all addictions, in the teenage brain."
Scientists have uncovered 'positive prediction error signal's that link to learning. Professor Poldrack stated that previous research has shown that the dopamine system in the brain is responsive towards prediction errors. Reward prediction error is defined as the difference between an expected outcome of an action and the actual outcome. Prediction errors have ties with learning. The human brain will take and reject whatever it wants to.
"Learning seems to rely on prediction error because if the world is exactly as you expected it to be, there is nothing new to learn", says Poldrack.
An experiment was conducted with participants from age eight to thirty, testing to see which age group would elicit the most dopamine response. Dopamine refers to one one of the most important factors for the motivation to seek rewards. Afterwards, the greater prediction error signals in the teenage brain could result in increased motivation to receive more positive outcomes, and greater risk-taking.
But unfortunately, this study is nothing but a theory. Questions afloat the minds of bio-psychological scientists. Can teenagers really control all their decisions, both good and bad? Is the idea being over analyzed? Could their adolescent behavior only be some sort of philosophy? Are biological differences really playing a part of this?
In the end, no one really knows.
LINKS TO STUDY: N/A
SUBMITTED BY: Cecile F. Zapanta
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Firstborns are smart, but younger siblings work harder
Author: Madison Park
Publication name: CNN.com
Date of publication: August 16, 2010
Summary: In a recent study of ninety diverse pairs of siblings by the American Psychological Association, it was found that firstborns scored better on aptitude tests (e.g. SATs, ACTs) but younger siblings worked harder and get higher grade point averages.
The siblings answered questions about their own and their sibling's work ethic and general intelligence, as well as academic performance. They generally agreed that the younger siblings work harder. However, all subjects thought that they were the more naturally gifted of their pair.
The siblings answered questions about their own and their sibling's work ethic and general intelligence, as well as academic performance. They generally agreed that the younger siblings work harder. However, all subjects thought that they were the more naturally gifted of their pair.
A reason given for the eldest sibling scoring higher on aptitude tests is that they were given more one-on-one attention when they were younger. Since they were only children, at least for a short while, they received more homework and schoolwork help from their parents and older family members.
The higher grade point averages of younger siblings are explained by the competitiveness and pressure condoned by family dynamics. Younger siblings normally feel the need to do better than their older brother or sister. This leads to the extra effort put forth by them.
I think that this study shows accurate findings. In the case of my sister and me, I have always been the one that is “naturally smart” while my sister works harder because she is more competitive and has always been around people who have expressed such pride over my grades. The drive to outwit and outperform me has translated into Caitlin’s better grade point average. In sibling groups, the older brother or sister does better on general skill tests while younger siblings are harder working and have better GPAs.
Links to study: none
Links to article: http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/16/firstborns-smart-but-younger-siblings-work-harder/?iref=obinsite
Submitted by Courtney Caglia-Hilty
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Can Preschoolers Be Depressed?
Author: Pamela Paul
Publication Name: The New York Times
Date of Publication: August 25, 2010
Summary:The article, “Can Preschoolers Be Depressed” by Pamela Paul, the cases of different preschoolers found to have been diagnosed with depression and how these children interact are discussed. The first example is about a boy named “Kiran” (a fake name to keep the boy’s identity anonymous). He seemed to be a good child while growing up, until his parents noticed that his actions were not as lively and bright as a normal preschooler should be. When Kiran was 5, he was diagnosed with preschool depression.
Depression was originally thought to have only affected adults, and not something that is found in children. Diagnosis of depression for preschoolers has also been a debate because of the belief that children cannot have such a mental disorder. However, ongoing studies show that children can in fact go through depression despite the young age and that depression can surface in children as young as 2 or 3. Although the fact that children can become depressed is true, it is extremely difficult to diagnose the child because there is little that a young child can directly tell about what is going on in their mind and life.
Studies also show that parents who are also depressed, particularly the mother, have a higher chance of their own children having depression. The children become afraid that they are bad children, and that their parents do not love them. In an effort to correct this thinking in children, they are sent to psychotherapy, with a parental unit, to go through “play therapy.” Another type of therapy is known as the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, or P.C.I.T in which parents are taught to “encourage their children to acquire emotion regulation, stress management, guilt reparation and other coping skills” (Paul). PCIT was originally started in the 1970s and has now been modified to work for depression.
Although there are no definite results, PCIT is known to be a proficient method if the parents are an active part of their child’s process of overcoming depression. Psychologist Alicia Lieberman at U.C.S.F. said that “if you intervene early enough to change negative conditions, rather than perpetuate negative behaviors, you really are preventing the development of a full-fledged diagnosis.”
Links to Study: none
Article: Can Preschoolers Be Depressed?
Submitted by Julia Wong
Publication Name: The New York Times
Date of Publication: August 25, 2010
Summary:The article, “Can Preschoolers Be Depressed” by Pamela Paul, the cases of different preschoolers found to have been diagnosed with depression and how these children interact are discussed. The first example is about a boy named “Kiran” (a fake name to keep the boy’s identity anonymous). He seemed to be a good child while growing up, until his parents noticed that his actions were not as lively and bright as a normal preschooler should be. When Kiran was 5, he was diagnosed with preschool depression.
Depression was originally thought to have only affected adults, and not something that is found in children. Diagnosis of depression for preschoolers has also been a debate because of the belief that children cannot have such a mental disorder. However, ongoing studies show that children can in fact go through depression despite the young age and that depression can surface in children as young as 2 or 3. Although the fact that children can become depressed is true, it is extremely difficult to diagnose the child because there is little that a young child can directly tell about what is going on in their mind and life.
Studies also show that parents who are also depressed, particularly the mother, have a higher chance of their own children having depression. The children become afraid that they are bad children, and that their parents do not love them. In an effort to correct this thinking in children, they are sent to psychotherapy, with a parental unit, to go through “play therapy.” Another type of therapy is known as the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, or P.C.I.T in which parents are taught to “encourage their children to acquire emotion regulation, stress management, guilt reparation and other coping skills” (Paul). PCIT was originally started in the 1970s and has now been modified to work for depression.
Although there are no definite results, PCIT is known to be a proficient method if the parents are an active part of their child’s process of overcoming depression. Psychologist Alicia Lieberman at U.C.S.F. said that “if you intervene early enough to change negative conditions, rather than perpetuate negative behaviors, you really are preventing the development of a full-fledged diagnosis.”
Links to Study: none
Article: Can Preschoolers Be Depressed?
Submitted by Julia Wong
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