What is the difference between a child who is temperamentally sad and
one who has depression? Can a kid be angry by temperament without being
mentally ill? How can two thrill-seeking parents end up with a shy,
risk-averse child?
The subject of personality and how we differ from one another
behaviorally has long fascinated parents, teachers, and scientists, but
because no true "pathology" was involved, it was traditionally the arena
of psychologists and behavioral scientists. Today, the question of
temperament--and how it contributes to the development of psychiatric
disorders--is one posed by mainstream psychiatry as a major area of
investigation. From depression to ADHD to autism, temperament can play a
definite role, but how, and to what degree?
In this book, David Rettew examines the research and discusses the
factors that can propel children with particular temperamental
tendencies toward or away from more problematic trajectories.