Developmental Theories
Struggling with a feeling that they are in competition with their fathers for the attention of their mothers, Freud felt that boys from 3-6 years also fear that their fathers will punish them for these sexual feelings in this stage of psychosexual development.
What is The phallic phase
This rare metabolic disorder, caused by ATP7B mutation, leads to copper accumulation, Kayser–Fleischer rings, and psychiatric symptoms such as depression and psychosis.
What is Wilson’s Disease?
This SSRI is the only one FDA-approved for treatment of depression in children ≥8 years old.
What is Fluoxetine (Prozac)?
First-line for both depression and anxiety in youth; longest half-life, lowest discontinuation risk.
This therapy is considered first-line for most childhood anxiety disorders.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Combination CBT + SSRI shows highest efficacy in randomized trials.
This is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in childhood.
What is ADHD?
Affects ~5–10% of children; often persists into adolescence and adulthood.
Between about 18 months or 2 years and 3½ to 4 years of age, the "well-parented" child emerges from this stage sure of himself, elated with his new found control, and proud rather than ashamed. (Works on self-care & toileting) in this stage of Erikson's stages of psychosocial development.
What is Autonomy vs shame
A child presents with bilateral vestibular schwannomas and hearing loss. Genetic testing shows a mutation on chromosome 22 in the NF2 gene.
What is Neurofibromatosis Type II?
According to AACAP, a first depressive episode should be treated for at least this duration after remission.
What is 6-12 months?
Relapse risk is high if medication is discontinued prematurely.
In the “fear hierarchy” used in exposure therapy, anxiety is reduced through repeated and controlled exposure to what?
What are feared stimuli or situations?
Extinction learning underlies CBT — repeated exposure without harm decreases fear response.
According to the DSM-5, symptoms of ADHD must begin before this age.
What is 12 years old?
This replaced the previous age cutoff of 7 years from DSM-IV.
Still not ready for extended separation from their mothers, crawlers and beginning walkers will sometimes choose to separate briefly from their mothers, but will typically return quickly for assurance and comfort in this stage of Mahler's attachment/Separation-Individuation Stages
What is Practicing
This X-linked disorder leads to testicular atrophy, tall stature, and mild learning difficulties. Psychiatric symptoms may include depression, anxiety, and psychosis.
What is Klinefelter Syndrome (47,XXY)?
Karyotyping confirms the diagnosis. Think of it in males with academic underachievement, social withdrawal, and infertility.
This mood stabilizer requires therapeutic drug monitoring due to narrow window and risk of renal and thyroid dysfunction.
What is Lithium?
Also reduces suicidality in adolescents with bipolar disorder — one of its most unique benefits.
This serotonin reuptake inhibitor has the strongest evidence base for treating pediatric OCD.
What is Fluoxetine (or Sertraline)?
CBT (ERP) and SSRIs are both evidence-based; combination is most effective for moderate-severe OCD.
This type of stimulant medication blocks reuptake of both dopamine and norepinephrine.
What are methylphenidate-based stimulants?
Amphetamines increase release of catecholamines; methylphenidate blocks reuptake.
In this stage of Piaget’s cognitive development, children gain the ability to perform operations on concrete objects, understand conservation, classification, and reversibility, but still struggle with abstract thinking.
What is the Concrete Operational Stage?
A child develops progressive muscle weakness and respiratory distress due to a SMN1 gene deletion. Death often results from respiratory infections.
What is Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)?
Autosomal recessive; early-onset (Type I) is severe and often fatal in infancy. New gene therapies (e.g., nusinersen) improve outcomes.
Name one FDA-approved medication for pediatric bipolar mania.
What are risperidone, aripiprazole, quetiapine, olanzapine, or lithium?
Atypical antipsychotics often used first-line due to faster onset and better tolerability in acute mania.
Children with OCD often show hyperactivity in this brain circuit connecting the orbitofrontal cortex, caudate, and thalamus.
What is the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuit?
Normalization of activity in this loop is associated with symptom improvement after CBT or SSRI.
In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), deficits in this social-cognitive skill lead to difficulty understanding others’ beliefs and perspectives.
What is theory of mind?
Core social-communication deficit; often targeted in early behavioral therapy.
According to Kohlberg, this highest stage of moral reasoning is guided by abstract principles like justice and human dignity, even when they conflict with laws or rules.
What is the Universal Ethical Principle Orientation?
In this epileptic encephalopathy, onset between 3–5 years is followed by regression of language skills, behavioral problems, and EEG spikes that are most prominent during non-REM sleep.
What is Landau-Kleffner Syndrome?
Youth with bipolar depression show greater activation of this brain region during emotion processing compared to controls.
What is the amygdala?
Neuroimaging consistently shows limbic hyperreactivity and frontal hypoactivity in bipolar youth.
According to the AACAP OCD practice parameter, augmenting SSRI treatment with this medication can help severe, treatment-resistant cases.
What is a low-dose atypical antipsychotic (e.g., risperidone)?
Augmentation most effective when obsessions have poor insight or comorbid tics are present.
This medication has FDA approval for irritability in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
What are risperidone and aripiprazole?
Both reduce tantrums, aggression, and self-injury — but require metabolic monitoring.