Family Psychopathology: The Relational Roots of Dysfunctional Bahavior by Luciano L’Abate, Book Review Example

Luciano L’Abate’s book Family Spychopathology: the relational roots of dysfunctional behavior, provides an insight on the influences of the family on an individual’s behavior. This issue has been said to be a topic of long-term debates in psychopathology literature. The book does a lot of research in the area of family psychopathology and it shows how there are many external, as opposed to internal, contexts where individual psychopathology stems from. A number of dysfunctional patterns are studied as well as different kinds of individual, marital and family disorders arise.

L’Abate provides readers with a review of the influences of the family on individual behavior, and describes a number of dysfunctional family patterns from different standpoints – clinical and theoretical. Additionally, the book offers an analysis of how these can lead to different types of disorders within the individual. There is much exhausted detail when it came to identifying differences between functional and dysfunctional relationships as well as ensuring accuracy in family assessments.  At the end of the book, treatment approaches are examined and discussed.

It has been said that the influence of the family on individual function and dysfunction is still controversial. The book points out, though that it is not common for anyone to argue on the conclusion that a functional individuals grow up from functional families and dysfunctional individuals grow up from dysfunctional families. To prove this conclusion wrong, it must be found that a functional individual can grow up in a dysfunctional family, and adversely a dysfunctional individual can grow up in a functional family. However, before this is delved in to, the definition of functional and dysfunctional must be first established. This book looks in to other psychological journals and their suggestions on the links between family and individual behavior. It finds that there is a contextual as well as a relational theory of personality socialization which is found within the family and also other settings, making the family a very important aspect on the influence and development of an individual’s functional or dysfunctional behavior.

The book covers much theoretical aspects in the area of psychopathology and the family. The book’s first chapter seeks to focus on the debate in the family field concerning normality and pathology. The debate was expolored through a survey, which was divided in to three phases; these phases were identified and discussed: (1) Observations of Pathological versus Normal Families, (2) Normal Versus Pathological Functioning – from mere observation to the building of models; and (3) The decline of theories as a driving force.

Levels and the analysis of family levels are discussed for a deeper view on the family, and how the individual may be influenced. There is an interactive level where families come in to play with each other, and how they were through interactions are identified. The relational level is like first mentioned, yet this is seen as repeated interactions and their sequences. A symbolic structure within the family is examined as the symbolic level, which the book defines as peculiar, this refers to the “bringing together” of the family.

The book also uses the information gathered to provide interventions and solutions for those families who are in need or at risk. These efforts are for those families who may have problems with a child’s behavior. There are several aspects of prevention for families and this is all tackled by the book; giving recommendations on how families can use the information learned throughout the book. Also, the differences between prevention and treatment were established. Different methods of prevention and intervention are given, as well as examples.

The chapter which examined parenting styles and psychopathology was interesting and informative. This can be related to social phobia, which has become a common mental disorder that can be seen from adolescents and connections with work and social functioning can be made (Al-Yagon, 2007). There are increasing evidences pointed out that the family plays a role in the development of an individual’s social phobia through parenting styles. However, there is very little evidence which gives genetic influences on this type of behavior, and all point to external influences from the family, more specifically from parental styles (Lieb, et. al., 2000).

Studies have determined that adults with anxiety disorders – those with social phobia – rate their parents as reject-ive and/or overprotective. These parental characteristics can affect an individual’s development and can result in the individual’s difficulties with interacting in personal and social situations. It has not yet, however been established that an individual’s social phobia is directly linked to a parent’s social phobia (Lieb, et. al., 2000).

Studies also show that children who suffer socio-emotional difficulties, which may include peer rejection, loneliness, low self-concept, and high levels of anxiety, can associate these problems with neurological factors (Al-Yagon, 2007). However, this can also be the effect of parental styles and factors found within the family. These factors can be seen through evidences found in the parents’ psychopathology. Variables of this can include: family disorganization, parenting behaviors, parental well-being, etc. These characteristics found in parents or within the family can directly be linked with disruptive behaviors within an individual, and can manifest early in childhood.

There are much studies and evidences found that there is a direct relationship between parental styles and the development of an individual (Al-Yagon, 2007). It does not necessarily state that how a parent acts is how the offspring should act. However, studies show that different parenting styles can lead to different affects on the child, most of the time these affects are extreme; for example over protectiveness can lead a child to social phobia. It can be said with this that families do have a direct relation to an individual’s development. Studies also show that children who show signs of maladaptive function are from homes with family dysfunctions and can be seen in parental psychopathology (Al-Yagon, 2007).

The chapter on Substance Abuse and Dependence was not completely useless; it was however almost stating the obvious. It seemed to deviate from the other chapters and presented its information which seemed to pertain to issues and ideas outside psychopathology. However, connections were made and established, it was just not that convincing.

Studies show that there is a relationship between adolescence with alcohol abuse and psychopathology disorders. These disorders are seen as in examples of depression and increases in anxiety. According to Clark and Bukstein (1998) a study conducted found that more than 80% of adolescents who were dependent on alcohol abuse had some form of psychopathology. These are found in forms of antisocial disorders.

These anit-social disorders can be traced from external aspects involving the family and any type of dysfunction found within the home (Beresin, 1994). Dysfunctions can be in many forms such as abuse – physical and/or emotional, and can cause social disorders in an adolescent which may manifest in different types of substance abuse.

The developmental origins for psychopathology in adolescents are seen in the parents (Beresin, 1994). The mother is there only for partial nurturing, and it is said that a mother is gratified when her child becomes attached, however created frustration in enhancing developments in the child. This type of frustration may be seen in different forms such as inconsistent care, multiple caregivers, and/or the lack of maternal availability (Beresin, 1994). This can lead to the child developing rage, depression, anxiety and other forms of dysfunctions which can lead to substance or alcohol abuse in the future.

These problems seen in the adolescent are caused by external issues displayed by his or her parents. It is again not necessarily from substance abuse of the parents which would influence their offspring in substance abuse. The actions of the parents and their behavior can lead to an adolescent acting out, and this may be in the form of substance abuse.

However, maternal absence which could lead to the development of psychopathology in a child could be the result of substance abuse and depression. The psychopathology of the child can turn into depression, which then could lead to substance abuse. One could quickly assume that the depression or substance abuse is therefore carried out through genetics, however, if it is taken in from a psychological standpoint, it can be noticed that it is the events leading to psychopathology which are to be studied, not the end results. Therefore, the conclusion is that there are dysfunctions within the family relationships which can cause types of substance abuse, and it is not passed on through genes.

L’Abate’s book covers the topic of psychopathology and how its studies can be used to link family influences to individual behaviors. These cover the topics of dysfunctions and many behavioral disorders. The book goes in to detail on different causes of dysfunctions which are found in family relationships and influences. This goes in to ties with DSM-IV-TR, which is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The book uses these things to elaborate in its study. DSM-IV categorizes disorder and disabilities in terms of an axial system. These separate disorders and disabilities regarding on the levels of severity. It is stated that DSM-IV-TR is for a reference only, and is not to be confused for a book for clinical diagnosis.

Szazs raised the question whether there was such a thing as mental illness or not. This was because during that time, there were so many terms and associations with mental illness. Something which L’Abate did not explicitly cover in the book was the role of ethics within psychopathology. This is something which Szazs wrote about. The book did offer recommendations about regarding disorders found in children, and how parents can either prevent or intervene.

DSM-IV-TR does not give recommendations about its statistical findings of mental problems. This only looks at dysfunctions and disabilities as objects or things which just exist. It does not really look into the people who have these. This is where L’Abate and Szasz differentiate from DSM-IV, which is just a compilation of terms, and categories of different dysfunction and diseases along with their definitions.

The three sources interplay with each other because they each offer different things, DSM-IV offers terminology and information, Szasz offers more of a personal reflection on the issues, which is seen in a more compassionate way, and L’Abate presents information in a very analytical way. These sources may have different ways of tackling the information, though there is a common ground in all of them.

References

Al-Yagon, M. (2007). Socioemotional and Behavioral Adjustment among School-Age Children with Learning Disabilities: The Moderating Role of Maternal Personal Resources. Journal of Special Education 40(4).

Beresin, E.V. (1994). Developmental Formulation and Psychotherapy of Borderline Adolescents. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 48(1).

Clark, D.B., & Bukstein, O.G. (1998). Psychopathology in Adolescents Alcohol Abuse and Dependence. Alcohol Health and Research World, 22(2); 117 – 121.

Lieb, R., et. al. (2000). Parental Psychopathology, Parenting Styles, and the Risk of Social Phobia in Offsprings: A Prospective-Longditudinal Community Style. Arch Gen.    Psychiatry. 57(9); 859 – 866.