Psychology and the health of children.

Inappropriate behaviour and adverse social circumstances in childhood are responsible for a high proportion of physical morbidity and mortality not only in childhood itself but also in later life. Evidence is provided to support this statement, and the processes whereby social adversity in childhood lead to later ill health are considered. Recent evidence suggesting that, contrary to popular belief, health promotion in childhood could substantially reduce the prevalence of physical morbidity is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the part played by techniques based on cognitive-behavioural approaches in the recent more successful examples of health promotion.