Psychopathology and nosography in childhood

The psychiatrist observes the reality in front of him actively selecting those data that can be related to the constructs that, in his mind, define pathology. In this activity of assessment, it is possible to come across all the elements of a nosographic category: this, sometimes, allows the regulation of the therapeutic intervention (as in the case, for example, of Mass Hysteria). Other times the identification of a nosographic category is not enough, by itself, to regulate intervention, and a psychopathological interpretation is needed (as in the case, for example, of the Right Emisphere Learning Disabilities). Sometimes the nosographic assessment of the clinician fails to yield results, or the results are so vague that they have no meaning (as in the case, for example, of the Not Otherwise Specified Eating Disorders). The lower the relevance of nosography is, the clearer the role of psychopathology appears to be: the latter allows an interpretation of the data brought by the patient and the family in terms of a developmental theory. The authors argue that current developmental psychopathology has new theoretical underpinnings, among which the most important are attachment theory and ethological theories, as well as a series of clinical contributions of great interest.