The Philadelphia Inquirer carried an article on the trend of assessing for mental health problems in very young children, with the thought that earlier detection could lead to earlier treatment. The article mentions how problems like autism and ADHD can even be prevented with certain behavioral treatments at the early age. The most interesting part of the atricle was a quote that summarizes a very sophisticaed view of looking at these issues:

“An Institute of Medicine report in 2000 helped energize the idea. The report emphasized the plasticity of babies’ brains. It also explained how interacting with babies can change their brain wiring. ‘We used to say ‘nature vs. nurture,’ but now people really think it’s ‘nature through nurture,’ ” said the University of Chicago’s Lawrence Gray.’”

That idea also captures why psychotherapy can be helpful for people, particularly if they believe that there is a biological component to their problems. Certainly the adult brain does not have the same level of plasticity, but therapy can help people make life changes to counteract the effects of a biological problem.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 26 May 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.