Toward a New Diagnostic System for Child Psychopathology

This important volume brings together leading child psychiatry researchers to critically review the current diagnostic system and work toward new, more clinically useful ways of understanding childhood problems. The authors examine how existing diagnostic categories as embodied in the DSM-IV do not adequately account for the interplay between maladaptive behavior on the one hand, and children's environmental contexts, relationships, and developmental needs on the other. Drawing on the latest findings from neurobiological and evolutionary research, the book offers fresh perspectives on the nature, causes, assessment, and treatment of a range of prevalent disorders. The concluding chapter offers specific, cogent suggestions for improving the forthcoming DSM-V.