Child Psychopathology

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Child Psychopathology

• Normal eating behavior
• Eating disorders
• Reading Chapter 13

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Normal eating development

• Troublesome eating habits and limited food
  preferences are common in early childhood among
  boys and girls
• Family rituals surround eating, e.g., getting
  children to eat new foods
• Societal norms and expectations affect girls more
  than boys, particularly at adolescence

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Continuity in eating behavior and later problems
Bulemia
Pica
Picky eating, Digestive problems
Anorexia
Other risk factors Early pubertal maturation,
high body fat, concurrent psychological problems,
poor body image
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Diagnostic criteria for pica and rumination
disorder

• Table 13.1 13.2 of the text

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What is wrong with this billboard?
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1. Glamorizes anorexia, a deadly physical and
mental illness, as "cute" 2. Sends the message
that starving oneself leads to beauty and
approval 3. Insults eating disorders
sufferers, their
loved ones and women everywhere
who are tormenting themselves to meet an
unattainable beauty ideal
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Anorexia nervosa
Refusal to maintain weight, intense fear of
gaining weight, disturbance in perception of body
size Denial of thinness Menstrual cycle stops due
to low body fat Restricting type Diet, fasting
or excericise Binge-eating/Purging type
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Bulimia nervosa
Binge eating follows change in mood, stress, or
hunger Purging involves self-induced vomiting,
diuretics, laxative abuse, or by other
compensation (e.g., exercise) Weight is usually
average or slightly above average
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Diagnostic criteria in Tables 13.4 and 13.5
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Prevalence
1-2 of population, more common than 30 years
ago More common in females than males
(approximately 101 ratio) Purgative behaviors
may differ Usually strikes between age 14 - 18,
but exists in adulthood and even late
childhood 50 show complete recovery, others may
continue irregular eating and body dissatisfaction
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Etiology

• Neurobiology and genetic contributions
• addiction models have looked at endogenous opiods
  released when hungry
• Sociocultural factors
• belief that self-worth, happiness, and success
  are determined by appearance
• dieting/ nondieting cycle
• prevalence of social models (e.g., 90120)
• Family interaction patterns
• Enmeshment, alliances, conflicts, victimisation,
  parental pressure

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Psychological factors
Autonomy, competence, and control are
themes Phobic avoidance of normal adult body
weight or sexual maturity in anorexia Binge/Purge
cycle becomes addictive Unattainable standards of
perfectionism Bulimia related to poor impulse
control , sexual acting out, borderline or
histrionic personality disorders
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Treatment is difficultAnorexia Bulimia

• Hospitalisation, i.v. feeding at set point may
  be necessary
• Contracting for weight gain to earn privileges
  (e.g., access to family) avoid food battles
• Family therapy to deal with autonomy and control
• Individual counselling
• Dietary education

• Hospitalisation may be necessary if electrolytes
  are out of whack (siezures) or purging must be
  monitored
• Cognitive Behavioral approaches to address self
  control
• Antidepressants have been helpful
• Dietary education