Gene-Environment Interactions in Developmental Psychopathology (The Duke Series in Child Development and Public Policy) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1606235184 ISBN 13: 9781606235188

Publisher: The Guilford Press, 2011

Synopsis

Bringing together foremost experts, this book reviews groundbreaking gene–environment research and explores implications for clinical practice, prevention, and public policy. Presented is cutting-edge work on the interplay of genetic factors and childhood experiences in the development of mental disorders such as depression, conduct disorder, and schizophrenia. Essential topics include what scientists currently know about "susceptibility genes"; the mechanisms by which maltreatment and other stressors interact with biological susceptibilities across development; and factors that make certain children more resilient than others. Future directions for personalizing treatment and prevention efforts, thus making them more effective, are discussed.

About this title

About the Author

Kenneth A. Dodge, PhD, is William McDougall Professor of Public Policy, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Director of the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University. His research focuses on how genes and environments interact to produce chronic antisocial behavior. He has used his research findings to create, implement, and evaluate preventive interventions for children and parents, and is currently interested in designing policies for communities to prevent violence. Dr. Dodge is a recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association and the Senior Scientist Award from the National Institutes of Health. Michael Rutter, MD, FRS, is Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College, London, United Kingdom. He has long been interested in gene–environment interdependence, has undertaken numerous studies of environmental influences on psychopathology, and has been involved in both behavioral genetic and molecular genetic studies of mental disorders. Throughout his research and clinical career, he has focused on research–clinical interplay and the policy implications of research findings. Dr. Rutter was knighted in 1992 and is an honorary member of the British Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Society, and founding Fellow of the Academia Europaea and the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Review

"Stellar authors provide an authoritative briefing on what is being learned about genes, their mechanisms of action (such as neural pathways), and how they interact with environments in shaping personality and psychopathology. This alone would make the book worth reading. But the book also provides theoretical and methodological insights into future research advances, as well as thoughtful essays on applications of gene/n-/environment findings."--John E. Bates, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University

"This volume is the definitive work on gene-environment interactions: their nature, underlying mechanisms, developmental and clinical implications, and ramifications for inequality and social policy. Chapters are by world experts, and the book is both authoritative and fascinating. Without hyperbole, I believe that each chapter is essential reading."--Stephen Hinshaw, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley

"Edited by two of the foremost scholars of developmental psychopathology and resilience, this excellent volume encompasses major perspectives on the interplay between genetic and environmental influences on development during childhood, adolescence, and beyond. Addressing the intersection between the biological and the social--and between factors intrinsic to the person and those concerned with the environment--this book will become a standard reference for those of us concerned with resilience, vulnerability, and lifespan development."--Gene H. Brody, PhD, Director and Regents Professor, Center for Family Research, University of Georgia

"This volume offers wonderfully current coverage of a well-chosen range of topics. Core scientific contributions succinctly but thoroughly address the major conceptual and methodological issues. The treatment of both genes and environment is nicely balanced, with critical attention paid to often-neglected issues, particularly those involving the characterization and measurement of the broad domain of the 'environment.' Substantive topics and contributors are wisely chosen to address disorders of particular relevance. The book provides a sophisticated treatment of the ideas, methods, and implications of gene-environment research. It will be of interest to researchers, advanced students, and practitioners seeking an up-to-date and insightful examination of this rapidly evolving scientific literature."--Scott M. Monroe, PhD, William K. Warren Foundation Chair of Psychology, University of Notre Dame

"The recent explosion of research on gene-environment interaction has excited psychologists, psychiatrists, anthropologists, and neuroscientists, to name a few of the fields being transformed by work that simply did not exist a decade ago. When the leading lights of any burgeoning new arena of inquiry are assembled to share their insight and understanding--as they are in this fascinating volume--students and scholars wise enough to drink from the well can be assured of being intellectually nourished. This book will afford graduate students and established academics a state-of-the-art understanding of the complex interplay of nature and nurture in shaping human behavior and development, along with implications for intervention and public policy."--Jay Belsky, PhD, Robert M. and Natalie Reid Dorn Professor, Department of Human and Community Development, University of California, Davis

"The authors assembled in this volume are arguably the leading scholars working at the cutting edge of this new field....Given the growing importance of genetics within psychology, more and more psychologists will find this to be a valuable addition to their libraries....The authors have done what is most useful at this stage of the field's development: They have clarified the important questions, described promising new research approaches, and focused a bright light on key gaps in our knowledge that limit its usefulness in practice and policy settings." (PsycCRITIQUES 2012-08-15)

Edition details

• Publisher: The Guilford Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1606235184
• ISBN 13: 9781606235188
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 286
• Editor: Dodge Kenneth A., Rutter Michael