[Does the recent psychosocial research consider the perspective of developmental psychopathology?].
OBJECTIVE
Developmental psychopathology is studying the development of psychological disorders with a life course perspective and an interdisciplinary approach considering the interplay of biological, psychological and social factors in complex models. The bibliometric analysis examines the implementation of this concept in the recent psychosocial research in the German-speaking area.


METHODS
Volumes 2007 and 2008 of three German psychological journals "Zeitschrift für Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik und Medizinische Psychologie", "Zeitschrift für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie", and "Zeitschrift für Psychiatrie, Psychologie und Psychotherapie" were screened for articles dealing with issues of developmental psychopathology. 46 articles were identified and evaluated.


RESULTS
Several aspects of developmental psychopathology are considered in a vast number of studies, but there is a main focus on risk factors, but not on protective factors and most of the studies are based on cross-sectional designs.


CONCLUSIONS
Most of the recent practice in psychosocial research is not beneficial for the identification of causal effects or the complex interplay of risk and protective factors in the development of psychological disorders. Thus, longitudinal studies, taking biological, psychological and social factors and their interplay into account are essential to meet the requirement of developmental psychopathology.
Glaesmer
Heide
H
Universität Leipzig, Selbstständige Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, 04103 Leipzig. Heide.Glaesmer@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Petermann
Franz
F
Schüssler
Gerhard
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015706:Bibliometrics; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007223:Infant; D008016:Life Change Events; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D011599:Psychopathology; D012106:Research; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D055815:Young Adult