The Development of Psychopathology

Reviews / Votes

"I adopted The Development of Psychopathology for an advanced undergraduate class, and I plan to use it in an introductory graduate seminar next semester. Pennington's book has the highest ratio of science to glitz of any work in this area. Neuroscience and genetics are sometimes weak points in behavioral science texts, but these two fast-growing areas get their due here. This integrated treatment of child psychopathology by one of the field's leaders is a treat for both students and instructor."--Hill Goldsmith, PhD, Fluno Bascom Professor and Leona Tyler Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"The new discipline of cognitive neuroscience has already brought a rich harvest of applications to the traditional subjects of psychology and psychiatry. This is the first textbook on one of the most exciting of these applications, developmental psychopathology. This landmark book not only presents interesting and novel findings on the major syndromes, but also situates them within an integrated theoretical framework that makes it a joy to read. Particularly compelling are the insights it offers on developmental disorders, including autism and dyslexia. As one of the leaders of the emerging field of developmental cognitive neuroscience, Pennington writes with the superb clarity and great authority that comes only from first-hand knowledge. He offers lucid discussions of the complexities of models of causation and of comorbidity in different syndromes and how to resolve them. Also presented in highly accessible form are the new techniques from genetics, epidemiology, neurobiology, neuropsychology, and neuroimaging that are fundamental to the neuroscience approach."--Uta Frith, PhD, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University College London, UK

"This clear, readable and interesting book by one of the world leaders in the field of developmental cognitive psychology provides a splendid account of modern concepts of developmental psychopathology, as viewed from a neuroscience perspective. The essential research findings are succinctly summarized, but the particular value of the book lies in the understanding it provides of what these findings mean. Highly recommended!"--Professor Sir Michael Rutter, Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

"This book is a remarkable achievement. Pennington provides a new integrative framework for understanding psychopathology, based on principles of developmental cognitive neuroscience. A wide range of disorders, such as depression, dyslexia, autism, and schizophrenia, are considered from multiple levels of analysis, from genes to brain to behavior. This book will serve as an outstanding text for advanced students in many fields, including psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. I strongly recommend it to any professional seeking to understand how the new field of cognitive neuroscience will transform our understanding of psychopathology."--Geraldine Dawson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Washington

"Compelling....[Pennington] demonstrates that virtually all mental disorders are developmental in nature and therefore must be understood in the context of what is known about normal development....His approach not only illuminates an understanding of pathological functioning, but also can serve as a road map to better understanding the avoidance of pathological outcomes. Ultimately, this work can inform prevention efforts with populations at risk for the development of psychopathology."--from the Foreword by Dante Cicchetti, PhD, Department of Psychology and Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester
- An outstanding achievement....The real triumph of this book is Pennington's ability to highlight how historical debates between psychiatrists and psychologists within developmental psychopathology would have benefited from a cognitive neuroscientific approach that integrates different levels of analysis....I would warmly recommend this book as an optimistic and highly enjoyable read for any professional within the field of developmental psychopathology. --Autism, 6/22/2005?? Every so often a book comes along that as soon as you see it you realize that you had just been waiting for it to be written. This is such a book....The next generation of clinicians and researchers in the field of developmental psychopathology will have to [have] working knowledge of the methods and findings of neuroscience and genetics. Both those in training and in current practice will find this book a rich and intellectually exciting framework within which to understand developments in these fields and to appreciate their relevance to developmental psychopathology. --Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 6/22/2005?? An excellent text or resource for trainees in developmental psychopathology and general psychiatry residents or child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. It could facilitate meaningful discussions on the general challenges within the field of mental health and inform thought on an integrated approach to a person with a specific disorder of motivation, action selection, or language. In addition, it is appropriate for the clinician who seeks a broader understanding and framework on which to base clinical practice. --Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 6/22/2005