Skip to content
Behavioural Science

← All essays and guides

Clinical Psychology

Heterotypic Continuity & Comorbidity

Martin Metzmacher
· 1 min read

Heterotypical continuity means that an underlying (developmental) process or impairment stays the same, but the manifestations do not stay the same. For example a child with autism might first show impairments of non-verbal skills and problems in eye-contact. In a later developmental stage the manifestations would be different, such as stereotypical behaviour or language problems.

In psychopathological progression one disorder can be seen as a risk factor for developing another disorder. For example eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa have a influence on neurotransmitter levels such as serotonin. Imbalance of that neurotransmitter is related to general anxiety disorder and depression. In that way eating disorder do not cause depression, but it certainly puts the individual at a higher risk.

Whereas comorbidity is a correlational construct, the concepts of heterotypic continuity and psychopathological progression are causal theories in a developmental framework, that take the development of the individual into account. One could argue that, where comorbidity uses data to state a fact, the other two concepts actually try to explain the process.

Homeotypic continuity can be seen as the opposite of heterotypic continuity. Whereas in heterotypic continuity the process stays the same and the manifestations change, in homeotypic continuity the manifestations stay the same, but the underlying process changes. For example a child might resort to aggression, because it lacks the necessary skills to make contact with peers at schools. Later in life aggression against peers might be mainly attributed to an antisocial personal disorder.

Clinical Psychology4 min read

How popular beliefs about obesity contribute to the growing problem

Obesity is becoming more common in western cultures. Because the genetic component linked to obesity remains the same as it has in the past, there is an increased concern about the cultural and environmental causes of overeating (Lissner, 1997). Affluent western cultures have higher incidences than cultures that have more limited resources. Western cultures also […]

Clinical Psychology1 min read

Behavioral Assessment of Social Anxiety in the Free Speech Task

The current study aimed to improve understanding of the behavioral indicators of social anxiety in the Free Speech Task. Building on the current theoretical knowledge about social anxiety, we developed a rating system to maximize the sensitivity of the behavioral anxiety assessment in the Free Speech Task. Participants with social anxiety and a control group […]

Clinical Psychology3 min read

The Origins of FAD therapies

The ability to choose an evidence-based psychotherapy on the base of scientific knowledge has been a negligible factor in the evolution of the human brain. One could argue that empirical science itself fosters a style of thinking that is counter-intuitive for many of us. Personally I believe that the human way of trying to identify […]