Incorporating a developmental psychopathology perspective in disorder prevention and mental health promotion for children and adolescents
Incorporating a developmental psychopathology perspective in disorder prevention and mental health promotion for children and adolescents

Summary/Abstract: We present implications for the prevention and therapy of children and adolescents based on knowledge from developmental psychopathology and findings from the hierarchical dimensional model of psychopathology. Due to the emergence of a general psychopathology factor in early childhood, the potential for using early preventive interventions to prevent the development of a wide range of mental and behavioural disorders later in development is highlighted. The approach discussed here focuses first on general risk factors but then cascades to emerging psychopathology at later developmental stages. The article proposes a development-matched intervention model. In the beginning, interventions target the general factor of psychopathology (health promotion and universal prevention programs for the general population). Then they target externalizing/internalizing (selective and indicated prevention programs for at-risk groups). They are followed by interventions targeting anxiety, distress, antisocial behaviour (sociotherapy for individuals with psychosocial problems of unfixed pathomechanism) up to psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (for individuals with illnesses and disorders).

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