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Advances and Directions in Preschool Mental Health Research
Author(s) -
Dougherty Lea R.,
Leppert Katherine A.,
Merwin Stephanie M.,
Smith Victoria C.,
Bufferd Sara J.,
Kushner Marissa R.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
child development perspectives
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1750-8606
pISSN - 1750-8592
DOI - 10.1111/cdep.12099
Subject(s) - psychopathology , psychology , mental health , normative , anxiety , child psychopathology , developmental psychology , developmental psychopathology , clinical psychology , diagnostic classification of mental health and developmental disorders of infancy and early childhood , psychiatry , prevalence of mental disorders , philosophy , epistemology
Abstract Over the last decade, researchers have expanded our understanding of early‐emerging mental health problems in preschoolers. In this article, we review the epidemiology, course, and clinical significance of disruptive behavior disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders in preschoolers. We present findings highlighting advances in preschool psychopathology and treatment research, and provide directions for the field of preschool mental health. To understand preschool psychopathology, we need to take an empirically based, developmentally sensitive approach that includes understanding more fully both normative and atypical development. Such an approach will inform how we define, assess, and treat early mental health problems.