Skip to main content
Social Sci LibreTexts

5.4: Causes of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
  • Page ID
    178824

    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    ( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    Research indicates that both environmental and genetic factors play a role in the development of emotional and behavioral disorders. Environmental factors include adverse childhood experiences. Adverse childhood experiences are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood, including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction (e.g., violence in the home). These traumatic childhood experiences have been linked to the development of anxiety and depression (Elmore & Crouch, 2020). In addition, negative school experiences such as bullying and the systematic oppression of specific racial or ethnic groups may also lead to the development of emotional or behavioral disorders (CDC, 2015).

    Certain emotional and behavioral disorders are linked to genetics. For example, children of a parent with a depressive, bipolar, or schizoaffective disorder are at a higher risk for developing anxiety, depressive, or schizoaffective disorders than the general public (DSM-5-TR, 2022). However, these genetic and environmental factors only increase a student’s risk of developing an emotional or behavioral disorder. Experiencing one or more of these factors does not mean a student will develop an emotional or behavioral disorder. In addition, environmental and genetic factors are often interrelated, making it difficult for clinicians to identify a single cause (Kauffman & Landrum, 2018).

    Elmore, A.L., & Crouch, E. (2020). The association of adverse childhood experiences with anxiety and depression for children and youth, 8 to 17 years of age. Academic Pediatrics, 20(5), 600–608.

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Fact sheet: Understanding bullying. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying-factsheet508.pdf

    American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed. Text Revision). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

    Kauffman, J.M., & Landrum, T.J. (2018). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth (11th ed.). Pearson.

    This page titled 5.4: Causes of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Diana Zaleski (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI)) .