Provided by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgeon General of the United States of America
Chapter 3: Children and Mental Health
Theories of Development
Development Viewed as a Series of Stages
Freud and the psychoanalyst Erik Erikson proposed a series of
stages of development reflecting the attainment of biological objectives. The
stages are expressed in terms of functioning as an individual and with
others—within the family and the broader social environment (particularly in
Erikson’s theories) (see Chapter 2). Although criticized as unscientific and
relevant primarily to the era and culture in which they were conceived, these
theories introduced the importance of thinking developmentally, that is, of
considering the ever-changing physical and psychological capacities and tasks
faced by people as they age. They emphasized the concept of“maturation” and
moving through the stages of life, adapting to changing physical capacities and
new psychological and social challenges. And they described mental health
problems associated with failure to achieve milestones and objectives in their
developmental schemes.
These theories have guided generations of psychodynamic therapists and child
development experts. They are important to understand as the underpinnings of
many therapeutic approaches, such as interpersonal therapy, some of which have
been evaluated and found to be efficacious for some conditions. By and large,
however, these theories have rarely been tested empirically.
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