Question

I have designed a two part discussion question this module. Please make sure to comment sufficiently on both questions. Make sure that your initial response to the question contains at least 2 cited academic sources to support the ideas that you raise.

(1) In considering various forms of psychopathology researchers have often focused on the role of social and psychological variables. In recent years, however, many studies have been conducted which have investigated the role of biological factors as they relate to different forms of child/adolescent psychopathology (e.g., mental retardation, ADHD, autism, anorexia nervosa, etc.). Discuss the evidence that biological factors contribute to childhood psychopathology, focusing primarily on ADHD. In your answer you should cite evidence related to the role of such factors in a range of disorders with "biological' being considered in the broad sense of the word (e.g., genetic, structural, biochemical, etc.). Critically evaluate the research findings you cite.

(2) Many social scientists have commented on the adult hypocrisy that can accompany childhood socialization. For example, “Do as I say, not as I do” has been around for a long time. One of the topics in this chapter is substance abuse problems among children and adolescents. Some years ago, one of the Drug Council public service messages on television depicted a father who had caught his son in the act of using marijuana. The father, in an agitated and incredulous tone of voice, announces: “Where did you get this?!......where did you find out about this stuff?!” The imp replies in an anguished tone: “I learned it from YOU!!......that’s where I got it......from YOU!!” I would like for you to share how they feel about this kind of hypocrisy and how you think childhood and adolescent socialization contributes to conduct problems

Please make sure that your initial response to the question is evidence based and provides facts and statistics from your textbook or current research studies.

Answer 1

• 1)For a number of years, clinicians and researchers have recognized the existence of a subgrouping of children who exhibit chronic and pervasive signs of inattention, impulsivity, and physical restlessness, as well as deficiencies in rule-governed behavior, which deviate significantly from age and gender expectations (Barkley; 1981; Ross & Ross, 1982; Wender, 1971).
• Since first being identified by Still (1902), this particular pattern of behavioral difficulties has undergone numerous changes in the diagnostic terminology used to describe it.
• Attention Deficit Disorder (with or without Hyperactivity), Hyperkinesis, Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood, Hyperactive Child Syndrome, Minimal Brain Damage, and Minimal Brain Dysfunction are some of the many labels that have been applied to this disorder in the past.
• With the arrival of the recently revised third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM III-R, American Psychiatric Association, 1987), this same behavioral constellation is now known as Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
  
• Current research indicates the frontal lobe, basal ganglia, caudate nucleus, cerebellum, as well as other areas of the brain, play a significant role in ADHD because they are involved in complex processes that regulate behavior (Teeter, 1998).
• These higher order processes are referred to as executive functions. Executive functions include such processes as inhibition, working memory, planning, self-monitoring, verbal regulation, motor control, maintaining and changing mental set and emotional regulation.
• According to a current model of ADHD developed by Dr. Russell Barkley, problems in response inhibition is the core deficit in ADHD. This has a cascading effect on the other executive functions listed above.
• Heredity is the most common cause of ADHD. If a trait has a genetic basis we would expect the rate of occurrence to be higher with the biological family members.
• Dr. Joseph Biederman (1990) and his colleagues at the Massachusetts General Hospital have studied families of children with ADHD. They have learned that ADHD runs in families.
• They found that over 25% of the first-degree relatives of the families of ADHD children also had ADHD, whereas this rate was only about 5% in each of the control groups. Therefore, if a child has ADHD there is a five-fold increase in the risk to other family members.
• If a trait is genetic, adopted children should resemble their biological relatives more closely than they do their adoptive relatives. Studies conducted by psychiatrist Dr. Dennis Cantwell compared adoptive children with hyperactivity to their adoptive and biological parents.
• Hyperactive children resembled their biological parents more than they did their adoptive parents with respect to hyperactivity.
• There have been several major twin studies in the past few years that provide strong evidence that ADHD is highly heritable.
• They have had remarkably consistent results in spite of the fact that they were done by different researchers in different parts of the world. In one such study, Dr. Florence Levy and her colleagues studied 1,938 families with twins and siblings in Australia.
• They found that ADHD has an exceptionally high heritability as compared to other behavioral disorders. They reported an 82 percent concordance rate for ADHD in identical twins as compared to a 38 percent concordance rate for ADHD in non-identical twins.
• Twins studies support the hypothesis of the important contribution that genes play in causing ADHD, but these studies do not identify specific genes linked to the disorder. Genetic research in ADHD has taken off in the past five years.
• This research has focused on specific genes that may be involved in the transmission of ADHD. Dopamine genes have been the starting point for investigation. Two dopamine genes, DAT1 and DRD4 have been reported to be associated with ADHD by a number of scientists.
• Injury to the brain can be the result of trauma (serious blow to the head), brain tumor, stroke or disease. These factors can cause problems with inattention and poor regulation of motor activity and impulses. While such circumstances can result in a diagnosis of ADHD, the occurrence of such is atypical.
• No studies have found any significant connection between problems with hormone functioning and hyperactivity or ADHD.
  
• Due to time limit only some parts could be answered,remaining can be asked as another question,they will be answered,thankyou for your cooperation