Affect Regulation and the Development of Psychopathology

Book excerpt: This pioneering work sets forth an integrative model for understanding the development of psychopathology. What makes a person vulnerable to mental illness in general? To specific clinical syndromes? Why are some individuals highly prone to emotional distress? Seeking a deeper understanding of these compelling questions, the volume highlights the central role of affect regulation--or the failure to develop functional strategies for regulating affect--in a wide range of disorders. An extensive body of psychological and neurobiological knowledge is synthesized to illuminate the processes by which this key capacity may be undermined in the developing child. Bridging the gap between biological and psychodynamic perspectives on psychopathology, the book has important implications for research, prevention, and treatment.