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Developmental Psychopathology Approach Essay

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The economic costs on society of child abuse and neglect can be due to “mental and psychological problems” (Smith &Smith, 2010) as development of mental health problems is likely to be evident. The direct costs on social services for abuse and neglect was estimated at “15 billion annually for the UK with the Christie Commission in Scotland recently estimated that 40% of public spending goes towards these cases” (Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services, 2011) demonstrating additional costs paid within society. Indirect costs related to mental health as abuse is associated with “depression” (Molnar, Buka, & Kessler, 2001) , “PTSD and anxiety” (Chen et al., 2010) resulting in loss of productivity and unemployment. As Currie and Widom (2010) found those “maltreated as a child were less likely to be employed and if …show more content…

The developmental psychopathology approach also emphasises the role of development, which is key when a child is facing maltreatment, as this will make detrimental effects on functioning. The contribution of investigating diverse risk and protective factors around child abuse and neglect can give great knowledge for future prevention and intervention programs. Furthermore, previous research as been seen to place emphasis on negative aspects and failed to explore the positive affect which the developmental psychopathology approach is able to incorporate in order to educate the public in the ways in which abuse and neglect may be identified and protected. Acknowledgment of sociocultural factors may allow practices to incorporate greater understanding of individuals needs and ensure a full appreciation of the variability around each case of abuse and

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