Preface to Developmental Psychopathology, Third Edition

A decade has passed since the second edition of Developmental Psychopathology was published. The two prior editions (Cicchetti & Cohen, 1995, 2006) have been very influential in the growth of the field of developmental psychopathology. The volumes have been highly cited in the literature and have served as an important resource for developmental scientists and prevention and intervention researchers alike. In the present third edition, we have expanded from the three volumes contained in the second edition to four volumes. The increased number of volumes in this current edition reflects the continued knowledge gains that have occurred in the field over the past decade.

A not insignificant contributor to this growth can be found in the very principles of the discipline (Cicchetti, 1984, 1990, 1993; Cicchetti & Sroufe, 2000; Cicchetti & Toth, 1991, 2009; Rutter & Sroufe, 2000; Sroufe & Rutter, 1984). Theorists, researchers, and prevention scientists in the field of developmental psychopathology adhere to a life span framework to elucidate the numerous processes and mechanisms that can contribute to the development of mental disorders in high-risk individuals as well as those operative in individuals who already have manifested psychological disturbances or who have averted such disorders despite their high-risk status (Cicchetti, 1993; Masten, 2014; Rutter, 1986, 1987, 2012). Not only is knowledge of normal genetic, neurobiological, physiological, hormonal, psychological, and social processes very helpful for understanding, preventing, and treating psychopathology, but also deviations from and distortions of normal development that are seen in pathological processes indicate in innovative ways how normal development may be better investigated and understood. Similarly, information obtained from investigations of experiments of nature, high-risk conditions, and psychopathology can augment the comprehension of normal development (Cicchetti, 1984, 1990, 1993; Rutter, 1986; Rutter & Garmezy, 1983; Sroufe, 1990; Weiss, 1969).

Another factor that has expedited growth within the field of developmental psychopathology has been its ability to incorporate knowledge from diverse disciplines and to encourage interdisciplinary and translational research (Cicchetti & Gunnar, 2009; Cicchetti & Toth, 2006). In keeping with its integrative focus, contributions to developmental psychopathology have come from many disciplines of the biological and social sciences. A wide array of content areas, scientific disciplines, and methodologies has been germane. Risk and protective factors and processes have been identified and validated at multiple levels of analysis and in multiple domains.

The increased emphasis on a multilevel, dynamic systems approach to psychopathology and resilience, the increased attention paid to gene-environment interplay in the development of psychopathology and resilience, and the application of a multiple levels of analysis developmental perspective to mental illnesses that have traditionally been examined nondevelopmentally (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and the personality disorders) not only have contributed to a deeper understanding of the dysfunctions but also have educated the public about the causes and consequences of mental disorder (see Cicchetti & Cannon, 1999; Cicchetti & Crick, 2009a, 2009b; Miklowitz & Cicchetti, 2006, 2010; Tackett & Sharp, 2014).

Advances in genomics, GxE interactions, and epigenetics; growth in our understanding of neurobiology, neural plasticity, and resilience; and progress in the development of methodological and technological tools, including brain imaging, neural circuitry, hormone assays, immunology, social and environmental influences on brain development, and statistical analysis of developmental change, pave the way for interdisciplinary and for multiple levels of analysis research programs that will significantly increase the knowledge base of the development and course of maladaptation, psychopathology, and resilience. Moreover, randomized control prevention and intervention trials are being conducted based on theoretical models and efforts to elucidate the mechanisms and processes contributing to developmental change at both the biological and psychological levels (Belsky & van IJzendoorn, 2015; Cicchetti & Gunnar, 2008).

Despite the significant advances that have occurred in the field of developmental psychopathology, much important work lies ahead. Undoubtedly these future developments will build on the venerable contributions of the past; however, as work in the field becomes increasingly interdisciplinary, multilevel, and technologically sophisticated, it is essential that even more emphasis be directed toward the process of development (Harter, 2006; Sroufe, 2007, 2013). It is not only genes and environments but also the cumulative developmental history of the individual that influences how future development will unfold (Sroufe, 2007, 2013).

Developmental psychopathologists have incorporated concepts and methods derived from other disciplinary endeavors that are too often isolated from each other, thereby generating advances in knowledge that might have been missed in the absence of cross-disciplinary dialogue. The continuation and elaboration of the mutually enriching interchanges that have occurred within and across disciplines interested in normal and abnormal development not only will enhance the science of developmental psychopathology but also will increase the benefits to be derived for individuals with high-risk conditions or mental disorders, families, and society as a whole.

Dante Cicchetti, Ph.D.
Minneapolis, MN
January 2015

References

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