This textbook provides an engaging guide to psychosocial theories of child and adolescents'
wellbeing demonstrating how psychology and sociology can be used to address key contemporary
issues for those working with children and adolescents. It begins with an examination of the
socially constructed nature of 'childhood' and 'adolescence' and impact of cultural context on
the conditions for 'well-being' before outlining core psychological and sociological theories
of childhood and adolescence. It adopts a psychosocial approach to illustrate the influence of
social context on biologically based development in relation to topics including attachment
learning play parenting family life deviance medicalisation long-term conditions
vulnerability and resilience. Through encouraging analysis of a practice-oriented case study
and offering reflective questions it provides a robust introduction to how psychosocial
perspectives may be applied within health social care and education contexts. It offers
students of Social Work Nursing Education Psychology and Child and Adolescent Studies the
critical and theoretical tools to evaluate the interlocking psychosocial factors influencing
the lives of those who will be in their care.
