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

Richard Rende, Ph.D., is a nationally and internationally recognized researcher who combines expertise at the intersection of developmental psychopathology and developmental behavioral genetics. As Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Alpert Medical School of Brown University, he has been awarded multiple grants from 4 branches of the National Institutes of Health. He is the founder of Social Behavioral Research Applications (SBRA), a unique consultation service for industry, government, and academics. Rende developed the Red-Hot Parenting blog for Parents.com and a monthly column for the New Bedford Standard Times. His work has been featured on NPR, ABC News, The Huffington Post, Yahoo!, Time.com, CNN.com, and MSNBC.