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Age, clinical severity, and the differentiation of depressive psychopathology: A test of the orthogenetic hypothesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Bahr Weiss  and
Barry Nurcombe
Bahr Weiss*
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University
Barry Nurcombe
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital
*
Address correspondence regarding this article to: Bahr Weiss, Box 512 GPC, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, or at WEISSBH@VUCTRVAX.
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Abstract

Werner's orthogenetic principle states that human behavior proceeds from a state of global diffuseness to one of articulated complexity, and that as individuals develop, their responses to the environment become more specific and more differentiated. The present study evaluated this hypothesis, in relation to psychopathology in general and depression in particular. Child Behavior Checklist responses for 1, 345 outpatient and inpatient children and adolescents were compared along two developmental dimensions: age and clinical severity. Results failed to support the hypothesis that the psychopathology in general is more differentiated among older and more severely disturbed children. The findings did indicate, however, that depression was more distinct among the older, more severely disturbed subjects. Finally, little evidence of a categorical depression was found in any of the four age by severity groups.

Type
Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , January 1992 , pp. 113 - 124
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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