Conduct Disorder

Conduct Disorder

Disregard for the rights of others

Four Categories for Conduct Disorder

• Aggression towards people and/or animals

• Destruction of property

• Deceitfulness or theft

• Serious violation of rules

Onset of Conduct Disorder

Childhood Onset CD: Begins before age 10; behavioral problems in early elementary that worsen as they age; more likely to have life-course persistent antisocial behavior

Adolescent-onset CD: begins at age 10 or later

Conduct Disorder Criteria

“with limited prosocial emotions” includes at least two of the following in multiple relationships/settings:

• lack of remorse or guilt for actions

• lack of empathy for others

• lack of concern about performance (work, school, other)

• shallow or deficient emotions

Gender Differences

• more commonly diagnosed in boys

• boys more common to have life-course persistent antisocial behavior

• boys with CD more physically aggressive than girls with CD

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

• less severe than CD

• Often see fist signs during toddler or preschool years

• more commonly diagnosed in boys

3 Categories of Behavior for Oppositional Defiant Disorder

• angry/irritable mood

• argumentative/defiant behavior

• vindictiveness

Difference between ODD and CD

ODD does not engage in aggressive actions towards people or animals, theft, deceit, or destruction of property. instead ODD are negative, defiant, disobedient, and hostile

Biological Factors

• Neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine

• Less physiological arousal (heart rates, cortisol levels)

Social Theories

• lower SES

• urban areas

• quality of parenting

• difficult as babies, toddlers, and children (irritable, demanding, disobedient, impulsive)

• physical abuse and neglect

• parental interactions that are hostile, violent, and involve ridicule

• malnutrition

• friends with similar antisocial behaviors

• downward social drift (parental actions influence kids)

Cognitive Factors

• very narrow range of responses

• social interactions processed in a manner that promotes aggressive relations, which then may lead to retaliation, which then reinforces that people are out to get them, reinforcing the aggressive behaviors

Psychological Treatments

CBT Goals:

• challenge way of interpreting interpersonal interactions

• teach to take and respect different perspectives

• use self-talk to control impulsive behaviors

• teach and use adaptive problem-solving skills

First step: teach to recognize situations that trigger aggressive/impulsive behaviors

• Behavioral observation, hypothetical situation with role plays, diary feelings and behaviors, analyze and challenge thoughts and form more adaptive thought processes, use self-talk to avoid reacting negatively

Teach/develop adaptive problem-solving skills and role play those

Psychosocial Therapies

Involve Parents

• reinforce positive (prosocial) behaviors

• discourage aggressive and impulsive behaviors

• nonviolent discipline techniques and strategies for managing own angry outbursts