2.8 Mental disorders in infants, children, and adolescents

• Bowlby described attachment as a process: a child produces behaviors in reaction to stress, and these behaviors in turn elicit other behaviors from the caregiver that reestablish a sense of security for the child usually through physical closeness or proximity. Therefore the quality of attachment in infancy is influenced by the nature of care. Blowlby, J. (1982) Attachment and loss. Vol. 1: Attachment. New York: Basic Books. (Originally published 1969)

That is simply saying that some things might make an infant feel bad, however their caretakers might then compensate for that and make them feel better. That makes sense considering that young children can cry often. It also shows the importance of making the infant feel better, if it is just abused then it might not develop properly or with a strong sense of self or security. If a child has the proper confidence and mental stability then they are probably less likely to develop a mental disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd)

• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type
• Predominantly Inattentive Type
• Combined Type
• ADHD has an onset prior to age seven, is present in two or more settings (such as at home and in school), and interferes with social, academic, or occupational functioning.
• Symptoms of inattention include failure to give close attention to details, difficulty sustaining attention, poor follow-through on instructions, failure to finish work, difficulty organizing tasks, misplacement of things, distraction by extaneous stimuli, and forgetfulness.
• Hyperactive-impulsive behaviors include fidgeting, running about, difficulty playing quietly, acting as if driven by a motor, talking excessively, blurting answers, and interrupting.
• Therapists working with children with ADHD rely primarily on behavioral interventions. Behavioral treatments for children with ADHD are based on operant conditioning, the shaping of behavior through the use of positive reinforcers. Treatment most often addresses the behaviors of staying on task, completing work, and following directions. Rapport, M. D. (1995) Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. In M. Hersen and R. T. Ammerman (Eds.), Advanced abnormal child psychology (pp. 353-375). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Finding the solution to ADHD seems to be very difficult if not impossible. I would argue that it is like trying to change who someone is. Those children exhibit those behaviors because that is what they want to do, they don't want to have a good attention because life is boring. Why would they want to be attentive to something boring or be calm when life is so much more exciting the other way? It is more than just something they "developed" or just an illness, it is how they feel they need to act and is how they experience and generate emotion for themselves. That is who they are, they probably can only function in that way because that is the best way for them. Life would probably be too boring for them the other way. You can't just say to them, your life is going to be boring now, stop acting out please.