Behavioural Problems in Childhood and Adolescence
Full course description
Several environmental, personal and biological factors appear to be important for healthy socio-emotional development, but occasionally these influences can lead to problem behaviour. The course focuses on the development of problem behaviour during childhood and adolescence, how it originates and how it can be treated as it poses a risk for further healthy development. Topics addressed are the influence of genes/neurobiology, personality and the child’s environment (peer interaction, parent attachment/parenting style) on socio-emotional and moral development and the development of psychopathology such as anxiety, depression, suicide, and narcissism.
Course objectives
After this course students:
- are able to explain the interactive role that environmental (peer influences/parenting-style/attachment), personal (temperament/personality) and neurobiological (genes and brain development) factors play in the childhood and adolescent development of internalising and externalising behavioural problems/psychopathology such as bullying and antisocial/immoral behaviour, anxiety, depression, suicide and narcissism;
- will be able to critically read and reflect on research and research methods used in developmental psychopathology research. Can describe/explain therapies/interventions and their effectiveness in bullying and suicide intervention;
- have gained knowledge of instruments to assess some internalising, externalising or personality characteristics.
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites to enroll this course except for a genuine interest in the topics (also the neurobiological aspects)