CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE DISORDERS

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DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
Externalizing Disorders
·         Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder
o   Behavioral inhibition – difficulty inhibiting responses and interrupting ongoing activities
o   Working memory – difficulty holding events in mind, anticipating problems and imitating complex behavior sequences
o   Self regulation – difficulty controlling feelings and impulses and looking at situations with some perspective of their antecedents and consequences.
o   Goal direction – difficulty formulating goals and keeping them in mind.
o   Response to feedback – difficulty in attending to feedback from the environment and in using that feedback to plan the future.
·         Oppositional defiant disorder
o   A pattern that includes negativistic, defiant and hostile behavior that lasts at least 6 months and includes the frequent the frequent occurrence of at least four of the following behaviors during that period; loses temper, argues with adults, actively defies or refuses to comply with adults rules or requests, deliberately annoys others, blames others for own mistakes or misbehaviors’, is easily annoyed by others, touchy, is angry and resentful, is spiteful and or vindictive.
o   This behaviours cause clinically significant impairment in social academic or work related functioning
o   The behaviours do not occur exclusively as part of a psychotic disorder or mood disorder.
·         Conduct disorder
o   Aggression toward people including bullying, intimidating use of weapons, physical cruelty, forced sexual activity, mugging, purse –snatching and aggression towards animals.
o   Destruction of property including fire setting and other deliberate property destruction.
o   Deceitfulness or theft including breaking into a building or car, conning others to obtain goods, stealing items of value
o   Serious rule violation including staying out at night without parents’ permission before age 13, running away from home and school truancy before age 13.

Internalizing Disorders
·         Separation anxiety disorder
Excessive anxiety concerning separation from home or from individuals the child is attached to that is developmentally inappropriate. At least three of the following criteria must be met and they must be excessive and persistent or recurrent.
o   Distress when separation occurs or is anticipated
o   Worry about harm coming to attachment figures or about losing them
o   Worry about some event such as getting lost or being kidnapped that will result in such a separation
o   Reluctance or refusal to go to school or other places because of separation.
In addition the disturbance must extend over at least 4 weeks, must begin before the age of 18 and must result in clinically significant distress or impairment.
o   Fear or reluctance about being alone or without major attachment figures at home or elsewhere.
o   Reluctance or refusal to go to sleep without an attachment figure near or to sleep away from home.
o   Complains about physical symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches when separation from these attachment figures is anticipated.
Other anxiety disorders
o   Social phobia
o   Generalized anxiety disorder
o   Post traumatic stress disorder
o   Obsessive compulsive disorder

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