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Stress and psychopathology in children and adolescents: is there evidence of specificity?
Author(s) -
McMahon Susan D.,
Grant Kathryn E.,
Compas Bruce E.,
Thurm Audrey E.,
Ey Sydney
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/1469-7610.00105
Subject(s) - psychology , psychopathology , stressor , developmental psychology , perspective (graphical) , clinical psychology , computer science , artificial intelligence
Research on the relations between specific stressors and specific psychological outcomes among children and adolescents is reviewed. Specificity, the notion that particular risk factors are uniquely related to particular outcomes is discussed from a theoretical perspective, and models of specificity are described. Several domains of stressors are examined from a specificity framework (e.g., exposure to violence, abuse, and divorce/marital conflict) in relation to broad‐band outcomes of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Studies that tested for specificity conducted within the past 15 years are examined, and definitional problems are highlighted. Little evidence for specificity was found. Methodological problems in the literature and the lack of theory‐driven specificity research are discussed, and directions for future research are identified.