Psychosocial Interventions for Genetically Influenced Problems in Childhood and Adolescence

How to weigh genetic factors while choosing the best psychosocial interventions

Psychosocial Interventions for Genetically Influenced Problems in Childhood and Adolescence explores empirically supported psychosocial interventions in light of our current understanding of the genome. It considers how interventions may be modified and enhanced as the products of genomic research continue to expand – and why they offer the most promise for making substantial gains in treatment and prevention.

Providing a clear, accessible assessment of our current knowledge, both of the genome and evidence based treatments, Psychosocial Interventions for Genetically Influenced Problems in Childhood and Adolescence provides practical advice to clinicians,policy makers, and others invested in treating young people who present with a variety of conditions including anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, substance abuse, and dyslexia. Rende discusses the current understanding of genetic etiology of psychopathology, and explores the support, or lack thereof, for various modes of treatment in light of new genomic knowledge. The overall premise is that our advances in genetics will be put to best therapeutic use by fueling translational psychosocial interventions.

Key points raised include:

• The need for treating children suffering today, rather than waiting for a biological "magic bullet"
• Discussion of how empirically-supported interventions mesh with genetic vulnerabilities
• Ways in which interventions may change as genetic research continues

Keywords: Psychotherapy & Counseling, Psychosocial Interventions for Biologically Based Problems in Childhood and Adolescence, Richard Rende, child psychology, intervention techniques, therapy modalities, behavior disorders treatments, ADHD treatment, autism therapy, bipolar therapy, child depression treatment, child anxiety treatment, adolescent psychology, mental health children, mental health adolescents, child psychiatry, psychosocial treatments, genetic risk factors mental health, child psychotherapy, child CBT, child DBT, childhood interventions, adolescent interventions, genomic research, adolescent substance abuse, child dyslexia, conduct disorders, genome and reading disorders