Clinical psychology: Beyond psychopathology and clinical interventions.

Abstract

As clinical psychology addresses an increasingty wide spectrum of problems, the discipline's dominant emphasis on psychopathology must be integrated with an equivalent understanding of psychosocial problems. Such a balance is viewed as improving work done in relation to all problems addresmd by clinical psychology and the mental health field. In support of these views' this article explores the importance of going beyond psychopathology with respect to (a) classifying behavioral, emotional, and learning problems and (b) conceiving intervention models. Key words: psychosocial problems, transactional view, psychopathology, diagnostic taxonomies, intervention modelsI school-based interventions, SchoolBased H d t h Centers. [Clin Psycho1 Sci Prac 2:2844, 19951The range of human problems addressed by clinical psychologists continues to increase, but the emphasis on psychopathology continues to dominate the discipline and the field of mental health in general. This domination is seen in the relatively superficial way psychosocial problems are attended to by many clinical psychologists in their roles as academicians, researchers, practitioners, and policy shapers. For example, the extensive activity devoted to developing formal schemes for classifjmg psychopathology has not been paralleled for psychosocial problems. Thus, it is common for persons manifesting emotional upset, misbehavior, and learning problems of a nonpathological nature Address reprint requests and correspondence to Howard S. Adelman, Department of Psychology, UCLA, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90024-1563.to be assigned pathological diagnostic labels-such as depression, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), and LD (learning disabled). Invalid differential diagnoses, of course, contaminate research samples and may lead to inappropriate interventions. When this occurs, the dominant emphasis on pathology negatively affects work done in relation to both psychopathology and psychosocial problems.T h s article aims at encouraging the field to adopt a policy of parity so that the topic of psychosocial problems is allotted the same status given to psychopathology. In pursuing this aim, the article has two underlying themes: One is that the understanding and amelioration of psychosocial problems require the same quahty of conceptual and empirical attention &om the discipline that currently is given to psychopathology; the other is that clinical psychology and the field of mental health can benefit &om viewing psychopathology within a h ework that encompasses psychosocial problems. These themes are aired through brief dwussions of (a) classifjring behavioral, emotional, and learning problems &om a perspective that goes beyond psychopathology and (b) moving beyond clinical intervention models.The audience I most want to address are those who shape thinking about clinical psychology and mental health research and training. Psychology departments, in particular, need to examine their curriculum with respect to course offerings, practicum placements,...

Reframing mental health in schools and expanding school reform

“…As the notion of schooll-community collaboration spreads, services and programs are used interchangeably and the adjective comprehensive often is appended This leads to confusion, especially because addressing a full range of factors affecting young people's development and learning requires going beyond services to utilize an extensive continuum of programmatic interventions. Services themselves should be differentiated to distinguish between narrow-band, personal or clinical services and broad-band, public health, and social services (Adelman, 1995). Furthermore, although services can be provided as part of a program, not all are.…”

“…'see, for example, Adelman (1995Adelman ( ,1996a, Adelman and Taylor (1993b). Adler and Gardner (1994), Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development (1988), Conoley and Conoley (1991), Dryfoos (1993Dryfoos ( , 1994Dryfoos ( , 1995 …”

Addressing barriers to learning: Beyond school-linked services and full-service schools.

“…In some schools, for example, a student identified as at risk for dropout, suicide, and substance abuse may be involved in three counseling programs operating independently of each other. Functionally, much of the activity focuses on individuals and small groups and is carried out in a "clinical" fashion (Adelman, 1995) et al, 1995). In addition, aides and volunteers working in this area still receive little or no formal training before or after they are assigned duties.…”

“…This leads to some confusion, especially since addressing a full range of barriers to learning requires going beyond a focus on services. Services themselves should be differentiated to distinguish between narrow-band, clinical services and broad-band, public health and social services (Adelman, 1995). Furthermore, although services can be provided as part of a program, not all are.…”

Peer‐ and self‐rated correlates of a teacher‐rated typology of child adjustment

“…Beyond determining how individuals are described, classification schemes organize information, facilitate communication between professionals (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), and guide intervention, training, and decisions regarding funding (Adelman, 1995). Efforts to generate a psychometrically sound classification system to reflect child adjustment have most commonly used one of two conceptually different approaches.…”