Psychological Assessment Of Emotional Dysregulation In Children And Adolescents

Emotions are a cardinal component of everyday life, affecting one's ability to function in an adaptive manner and influencing both intrapersonal and interpersonal processes. This book brings together leading experts in the field to provide a guide to dealing with emotional problems in children and adolescents.

This book explains the process by which assessment psychologists can evaluate and report the nature and severity of emotional dysregulation in their young patients. As referrals for clinical assessment of complex children and adolescents frequently involve questions about emotional regulation in general and the possibility of bipolar spectrum conditions in particular, trainees and practitioners will find this to be an invaluable resource. Challenges with emotional regulation are common among patients of all ages who are referred for formal psychological assessment. Understanding the nature and severity of such challenges is crucial if evaluators are to make accurate formulations and develop meaningful treatment implications. This book will illuminate the process by which an assessment psychologist evaluates and reports the nature of emotional dysregulation. It will also serve as a reference book to tailor test batteries, interpret findings related to differential diagnosis, and link test findings with meaningful treatment implications. Topics explored include detailed case examples addressing real-world referral questions, challenges around differential diagnosis, and explanations of treatment implications. Discussion of various assessment measures are considered as well, including more common measures like BASC-3 and performance-based measures as well as disorder-specific measures which may be less familiar to many clinicians. Providers will learn how to differentiate bipolar disorders from other co-occuring mental health disorders that feature dysregulated emotion, including OCD, PTSD, ADHD, and others.

This issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, guest edited by Drs. Gabrielle A. Carlson and Manpreet Kaur Singh, is Part I of a two-part issue covering Emotion Dysregulation in Children. This issue is one of four selected each year by our series Consulting Editor, Dr. Todd Peters. Topics discussed in this issue include but are not limited to: Aggression, irritability, and mood dysregulation; Measurement of Dysregulation in Children and Adolescents; The phenomenology of outbursts; Understanding, Assessing and Intervening with Emotion Dysregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder; Dysregulation and Suicide in Children and Adolescents; Aggression and Dysregulation: A Trauma Informed Approach; Anger outbursts and aggressive symptoms in Tourette Disorder; ADHD and the Dysregulation of Emotion Generation and Emotional Expression; Dysregulation in major mental illness; and Dysregulation, Catastrophic Reactions and Anxiety Disorders, among others.

This issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, guest edited by Drs. Gabrielle A. Carlson and Manpreet Kaur Singh, is Part II of a two-part issue covering Emotion Dysregulation in Children. This issue is one of four selected each year by our series Consulting Editor, Dr. Todd Peters. Topics discussed in this issue include but are not limited to: Explosive Outbursts at School; Treatment of Childhood Emotional Dysregulation During Inpatient and Residential Interventions; Psychopharmacology of Treating Explosive Behavior; Treating explosive irritability in pediatric bipolar disorders; Evidence Base for Psychosocial Interventions for the Treatment of Emotion Dysregulation in Children and Adolescents; Preventing Irritability and Temper Outbursts in Youth by Building Resilience; Psychoeducational Treatments for Mood Dysregulation; A Modular, Transdiagnostic Approach to Treating Severe Irritability in Children and Adolescents; Longitudinal Outcome of Chronic Irritability; and the future of irritability in children, among others.

Emotions are a cardinal component of everyday life, affecting one's ability to function in an adaptive manner and influencing both intrapersonal and interpersonal processes such as self-esteem and relationship satisfaction. However, when emotions are overpowering, they can become debilitating and intrusive in daily life. In general, emotion regulation competencies become differentiated as a function of development. Children tend to seek support from adults or use behavioral techniques to regulate their emotions. As children reach adolescence, they become increasingly self-reliant, engaging in planful problem solving and utilizing cognitive strategies (for example, reappraisal) more frequently when faced with stressful life events. While the majority of children and adolescents will successfully navigate these developmental stages by cultivating adaptive coping skills, for some, this marks the beginning of lifelong challenges with emotion regulation and resultant dysregulation. This book provides a guide to dealing with these problems, with contributions from leading experts in the field. Divided into 4 sections, it starts by providing an introduction to the field of emotion regulation in adolescents, touching upon the cultural, social, biological, and developmental issues related to this topic. Section two discusses several psychological disorders impacting adolescents such as anxiety, depression and conduct problems, while also discussing the underlying role emotion regulation plays in the development, maintenance and propagation of these disorders. In addition, this section considers the implication for treatment by discussing the latest evidence-based intervention approaches. The third section focuses on the role of emotion regulation in specific behaviour/populations, such as children of abuse and neglect, as well as adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury. The final section includes an epilogue, discussing emergent areas of research, answering questions of a theoretical, psychological, and empirical nature. For all those working in the field of mental health, whether novice or experienced, the book provides a valuable guide to understanding and treating these increasingly common problems.

A practical guide to understanding and treating children and adolescents prone to extreme levels of angry outbursts, Disruptive Mood: Irritability in Children and Adolescents is based on the very latest research and theory. Providing both a clinical and scientific perspective on irritability in children, this book is a timely look at recent developments in the field. Abnormal states of anger are a common reason for referral to child health services, and cause concern in clinics, schools, and families. Misdiagnosis and treatment can stem from a lack of understanding of the mechanisms involved in high levels of anger in children, and Disruptive Mood: Irritability in Children and Adolescents provides clear guidance on the development of abnormal states of anger, their consequences for later development, and how to assess and make differential diagnoses between them. A useful resource for clinical practice, this book is concise and accessible, and offers tools for evaluating treatments. Disruptive Mood: Irritability in Children and Adolescents is designed for practitioners involved in child and adolescent mental health and education and researchers who need an introduction to this complex field.

Emotion regulation difficulties are central to a range of clinical problems, yet many therapies for children and adolescents lack a focus on emotion and related skills. In a flexible modular format, this much-needed book presents cutting-edge strategies for helping children and adolescents understand and manage challenging emotional experiences. Each of the eight treatment modules can be used on its own or in conjunction with other therapies, and includes user-friendly case examples, sample dialogues, and engaging activities and games. Emotion-informed assessment and case conceptualization are also addressed. Reproducible handouts can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.