Child Temperament: New Thinking About the Boundary Between Traits and Illness (Norton Professional Book)

Exploring the differences between temperamental traits and psychological disorders. What is the difference between a child who is temperamentally sad and one who has depression? Can a kid be angry by temperament without being mentally ill? How can two thrill-seeking parents end up with a shy, risk-averse child? The subject of personality and how we differ from one another behaviorally has long fascinated parents, teachers, and scientists, but because no true “pathology” was involved, it was traditionally the arena of psychologists and behavioral scientists. Today, the question of temperament—and how it contributes to the development of psychiatric disorders—is one posed by mainstream psychiatry as a major area of investigation. From depression to ADHD to autism, temperament can play a definite role, but how, and to what degree? In this book, David Rettew examines the research and discusses the factors that can propel children with particular temperamental tendencies toward or away from more problematic trajectories. "What is the difference between a child who is temperamentally sad and one who has depression? Can a kid be angry by temperament without being mentally ill? How can two thrill-seeking parents end up with a shy, risk-averse child? The subject of personality and how we differ from one another behaviorally has long fascinated parents, teachers, and scientists, but because no true "pathology" was involved, it was traditionally the arena of psychologists and behavioral scientists. Today, the question of temperament--and how it contributes to the development of psychiatric disorders--is one posed by mainstream psychiatry as a major area of investigation. From depression to ADHD to autism, temperament can play a definite role, but how, and to what degree? In this book, David Rettew examines the research and discusses the factors that can propel children with particular temperamental tendencies toward or away from more problematic trajectories."--Publisher's description Title Page Dedication Epigraph Table of Contents Part I Temperament and Its Links With Psychiatric Illness Chapter 1 – A Brief History Chapter 2 – The Basics of Child Temperament Chapter 3 – Features of Temperament Chapter 4 – Neurobiology: The Brains Behind Temperament Chapter 5 – Temperament and Psychopathology Chapter 6 – Spectrums, Risk Factors, and Scars Part II Applications Chapter 7 – Clinical Settings Chapter 8 – Temperament and Parenting, Part I Chapter 9 – Temperament and Parenting, Part II Chapter 10 – Temperament in Educational Settings Chapter 11 – Medications References Acknowledgments Credits Index Copyright This work explores the differences between temperamental traits and psychological disorders. What is the difference between a child who is temperamentally sad and one who has depression? Can a child be angry by temperament without being mentally ill? Here, the author discusses the factors that can propel children with particular temperamental tendencies towards or away from more problematic trajectories What is the difference between a child who is temperamentally sad and one who has depression? Can a child be angry by temperament without being mentally ill? Here, David C. Rettew discusses the factors that can propel children with particular temperamental tendencies towards or away from more problematic trajectories