Conduct Disorder

Introduction

The term “conduct disorder” describes a collection of emotional and behavioral issues marked by a lack of consideration for other people. Children with conduct disorders struggle to behave in a way that is acceptable to others and to obey rules. They can act in an antagonistic and occasionally violent manner. All racial, cultural, and socioeconomic groups have children with conduct disorders.

Their conduct disorder may emerge as a result of other mental health conditions they frequently have. Boys are more likely than females to have the disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of conduct disorders are critical for the best possible outcome. Untreated conduct disorder can occasionally result in adult antisocial personality disorder.

Different Kinds of Conduct Disorders

Conduct disorders come in three different varieties. The age at which the disorder’s symptoms initially appear determines their classification:

Conduct disorder symptoms that manifest before the age of ten are considered childhood onset.
The emergence of conduct disorder symptoms during adolescence is known as adolescent onset.
When a conduct problem has an undetermined onset, it is unclear at what age it initially manifests.

A conduct problem may be identified in certain children who exhibit restricted prosocial emotions. It’s common to characterize children with this particular conduct issue as emotionless and cold.

Causes

In the United States, between 2% and 10% of children and adolescents suffer from conduct disorder. You should have a psychiatrist evaluate your child or adolescent if you believe they may have a behavioral problem. A conversation with the kid or adolescent and their parents will be part of the psychiatric evaluation. Your child will be evaluated by the psychiatrist using behavior analysis, interviews, and formal evaluations. Any coexisting illnesses, such as substance misuse or depression, could be diagnosed by a psychiatrist.

How Do Personality Disorders and Conduct Disorders Differ From One Another

An individual with a personality disorder has persistent, disruptive thoughts, behaviors, moods, and interpersonal patterns. As personality continues to develop and mature during adolescence, the majority of personality disorders start. As a result, almost everyone who has personality issues is older than 18.
An exception to this norm is antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), in which around 80% of individuals will have symptoms by the time they are eleven years old.

Despite being often diagnosed in youngsters, conduct disorder (CD) and ASPD are quite similar. A mental health practitioner would diagnose an adult with ASPD rather than CD if they fit the criteria for both disorders.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of conduct disorder can be seen in children who do not have it. These symptoms, however, are more common in youngsters who have the illness. Additionally, they hinder learning, adjustment to school, and even the child’s social connections. The symptoms may vary from child to child. Nonetheless, there are four main types of actions:

Aggression Behavior

Examples of behaviors that threaten or cause bodily harm include fighting, bullying, using weapons, being harsh to people or animals, and forcing someone to have sex.

Destructive Behavior

This includes willful destruction of property, such as vandalism (damaging someone else’s property) and arson (intentionally starting a fire).

Deceit Behaviour

Repeatedly lying, shoplifting, or breaking into houses or vehicles to steal are examples of dishonest behavior.

Breaking the Law or Age-Appropriate Standards

This refers to acting in a way that is inappropriate for one’s age or breaking socially accepted norms. These actions could include escaping, skipping school, pulling practical jokes, or engaging in sexual activity when still very young.

Diagnosis

If you suspect a conduct problem in your kid or adolescent, see a psychiatrist.

A mental health expert should evaluate your child for conduct disorder. A specialist will ask you and your child about their behavior to diagnose, as well as his or her parents.
Depression and substance abuse might be diagnosed by a psychiatrist.
At least three conduct disorder behaviors must be present for your child to be diagnosed.
Additionally, your child must have displayed one of the behaviors within six months. Behavior problems must also seriously affect your child socially or academically.

Treatment

Conduct disorder includes therapy, behavior control, anger management, and medicines. Medication rarely replaces therapy. Family therapy is crucial. Early conduct disorder diagnosis and treatment improve outcomes. Untreated childhood conduct problems can develop into adult antisocial personality disorders.

Psychotherapy: This treatment helps children express and control their rage. Cognitive-behavioral therapy restructures the child’s thinking to better problem-solving, anger management, moral reasoning, and impulse control. Family therapy can increase communication and interactions. Parent management training (PMT) helps parents improve their child’s home conduct.

Medication: Conduct disorder has no approved medication, but various drugs can be used off-label to treat its distressing symptoms (impulsivity, aggression, dysregulated mood) and other mental illnesses like ADHD or major depression.

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