Families, Children and the Development of Dysfunction

The family plays a central role in the mental health of children. This study of the family in relation to child development and dysfunction explores whether there are critical family characteristics that are reliably predictive of childhood dysfunction - and whether these characteristics can be modified by family therapy.

The author places specific types of dysfunction such as depression, conduct problems and anxiety in the context of family influences, and details issues of identification, assessment and treatment of childhood dysfunction in relation to family processes.

This unique volume takes a comprehensive approach to child and family mental health by examining the many ways in which family plays a central role in the health and/or dysfunction of the child. Rich in its coverage, this book begins with a presentation of the historical underpinnings of the study of the family′s relation to child development and dysfunction. It details issues related to identification, assessment, and treatment of child dysfunction in relation to family processes and offers alternative conceptual views of the family, and critical features of family life and how they operate. Specific types of dysfunction, such as depression, conduct problems, and anxiety, are presented to convey the ways in which family influences can operate. "I can strongly recommend this book as a good general introduction to thinking about the development of child mental health and how this might relate to the context of family. It would be a handy text for trainees, since it fits easily into a large pocket or small briefcase. --ACPP Review and Newsletter "This is a useful and enjoyable book which provides a clear and thoughtful grounding in the field for the novice and a selection of more ′cutting-edge′ material for the specialist." --Frances Gardner in British Journal