Development and treatment of psychosocial problems: Family dynamics, peers and culture

Programme leaders: Prof. dr. M. Deković and Prof. dr. A. L. van Baar 

Mission
To increase our understanding of the development and biological and social determinants of child psychosocial problems by conducting high quality fundamental research, focusing on factors and paths leading to (mal)adaptive functioning, as well as applied studies, evaluating intervention programs aiming to reduce these problems.

Content
The program is structured into two research lines that complement each other, both aiming to answer the central question of this research program: How do intrapersonal (including both biological and psychological) and social risk factors relate to and interact with psychosocial adaptation of children?

Studies in the first research line, Manifestations, development and determinants of child psychosocial problems, aim to trace the naturally occurring changes in both the child (biological and psychological factors) and its social context over time. This question is addressed in short- and long-term longitudinal studies (using both quantitative as well as qualitative methods). Working from an ecological developmental perspective that views human development from a person-in-environment context, functioning is conceptualized as an ongoing transactional interplay between an active changing organism in a dynamic changing context.

In the studies included in the second research line, Interventions aimed at reducing psychosocial and childrearing problems, the changes in child and social context are introduced by systemic interventions conducted in naturalistic context. The interventions are selected because of their solid theoretical background (ecological and family systems theories, theory of self-efficacy) consistent with the theories and concepts that we develop and test in the first research line.