Chapter 2 - Development

The developmental psychopathology perspective is not a single theory. It is the study of adaptation and maladaptation using multiple levels of analyses to examine dynamic influences on development such as genetics and environment. The developmental psychopathology approach focuses on pathways to risk and resilience for disorders. By using perspectives from multiple fields, a better understanding of the true picture of causes of psychopathology can be understood. Within the developmental psychopathology approach, comorbidity is seen as an overlap at the level of risk factors or a presence of a unique syndrome.