Disinhibited social relationship disorder

The essential characteristic of disinhibited social relationship disorder involves a socially inappropriate or inappropriate behavior in which there is usually more trust implicit than would be expected due to the type of relationship. This all-too-familiar behavior crosses the social boundaries of the culture.

At the time of diagnosis, it is not made before children are able to create selective bonds according to their development. Thus, disinhibited social relationship disorder is diagnosed when the child is at least a developmental age of 9 months. Disinhibited social relationship disorder has not been described in adults.

This disorder can coexist with developmental delays, especially with cognitive and language delays, stereotypies, and with other signs of severe neglect, such as malnutrition or poor care. However, signs of this disorder often persist even after other signs of neglect are no longer present.

How is disinhibited social relationship disorder diagnosed?

He Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, in its fifth edition (DSM-5), cites the criteria for diagnosing this disorder. Let’s see them.

A. Pattern of behavior in which a child approaches and actively interacts with strange adults and has two or more of the following characteristics:

Reduced or absent reluctance to approach and interact with strange adults. Overly familiar verbal or physical behavior. This means that it is inconsistent with cultural acceptance and age-appropriate social boundaries. Little or no use of the adult caregiver after a risky outing, even in strange contexts. Willingness to leave with a strange adult with little or no hesitation.

B. The behaviors of criterion A are not limited to impulsivity (as in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). However, they include socially uninhibited behavior.

C. The child has experienced a extreme pattern of insufficient care. This is evidenced by one or more of the following characteristics:

Neglect or social deprivation that is manifested by the persistent lack of having basic emotional needs met for well-being, stimulation and affection by adult caregivers. Repeated changes in primary caregivers that reduce the opportunity to develop a stable attachment (p. (e.g., frequent changes in custody). Education in unusual contexts that greatly reduces the opportunity to establish selective attachment (e.g., institutions with a high number of children per caregiver).

D. It is assumed that The care factor of criterion C is responsible for the alteration of the behavior of criterion A.. For example, the alterations of criterion A begin after the pathogenic care of criterion C).

E. The child has a Developmental age of at least 9 months.

How does disinhibited social relationship disorder develop?

Children diagnosed with disinhibited social relationship disorder often present with social neglect problems in the first months of life, even before the disorder is diagnosed. Social negligence is a form of child abuse which includes intentional omissions of attention on the part of an adult.

Nevertheless, There is no evidence that abandonment after age two is associated with manifestations of the disorder.. Studies tell us that if early abandonment occurs and signs of the disorder appear, its clinical characteristics will be moderately stable over time.

Uninhibited social behavior and lack of reserve when approaching strange adults are accompanied by attention-seeking/demanding behaviors in the preschool stage. When the disorder persists into middle childhood, symptoms manifest as excessive verbal and physical familiarity and non-genuine expression of emotions.

These signs seem to be especially evident when the child interacts with adults. Relationships between peers are affected especially in adolescence. It is logical if we think that it is at this stage that uninhibited behavior and conflicts become evident.

As we have seen, disinhibited social relationship disorder occurs exclusively in children. The adult manifestations of the disease are unknown. The consequences of the disorder for the child are usually quite negative, since It seriously hinders their ability to relate to adults and adventure partners.

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