What Is Conduct Disorder And Why Is Its Treatment So Important?
Conduct disorder in childhood and adolescence usually involves repeated complaints from the environment. Find out what it is and what its treatment is.
Conduct disorder is one of the most frequent problems that manifest in childhood and adolescence. Specifically, it is estimated that more than 10% of children and adolescents have this disorder, being more common in males. The most relevant problem is that the majority of people who suffer from serious behavioral disorders they do not receive treatment and this constitutes an important factor for the prevention of behaviors criminals, health problems and social relationships.
He conduct disorder (also known as conduct disorder) is a persistent pattern of aggressive behavior toward others. Specifically, they are presented as a lack of respect for the rights of others, for social rules and norms that cannot be explained by the person’s age. Their behavior is usually disturbing defiant, irritable, rancorous and/or vengeful, which causes discomfort to the person who presents it as well as to their social environment (family, friends, school, etc.). Its onset is in most cases in childhood or adolescence and may be accompanied by other mental disorders the most frequent being ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder. However, the presence of anxiety disorders, depressive and bipolar disorders, and addictions is also common.
Sometimes, the person does not feel guilty or experience feelings of remorse for the harm caused. As we have already mentioned, they often present difficulties in different areas of their daily lives such as academic performance, work, etc. but many of the people who suffer from it do not show any signs of concern for their behavioral problems nor for its consequences. In addition, they can also show serious difficulties in establishing relationships since this disorder can be accompanied by problems expressing emotions and, therefore, they can be totally indifferent towards the feelings of others.
For all the above, many psychologists place the conduct disorder in childhood or adolescence as a triggering factor for an antisocial personality disorder in adulthood since it can share some personality disorder symptoms with the difference that the latter is considered stable and is diagnosed after the age of 18. In this sense, when this disorder is not treated in time it can translate into the presence of risky sexual behaviors, consumption of addictive substances and aggression during the adolescent and adult stages.
Symptoms: How to identify it?
The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) indicates that at least three of the following symptoms must occur in a total period of at least one year and at least one symptom must be present in the last six months:
Aggression towards people and/or animals: The child or adolescent has intimidated, threatened, harassed and/or sexually violated someone. If it has not escalated to physical violence, he has used weapons or objects that could have caused physical harm to other people. This symptom can also manifest itself through violent robberies, confronting the victim through threats, extortion, etc.
Destruction of property and vandalism: The person has intentionally caused material damage with the aim of causing considerable deterioration.
Deception and/or theft: The child or adolescent has lied in order to obtain some benefit or avoid responsibility, has stolen valuables without intimidating or violating the victim and/or has entered another person’s house, building or car without their consent.
Failure to comply with norms and rules: Before the age of 13, the adolescent misses school, goes out at night despite being explicitly prohibited from doing so, and/or has spent at least two nights away from home or has been absent for a long time.
Although most psychological disorders cannot be explained by a single cause, there are risk factors for the development of disorders. In the case of conduct disorder they are the following:
Environmental: The family is the first social agent with which the boy or girl relates, so a bond based on abuse or very authoritarian treatment can significantly influence the future behavior of people. In this sense, it has been confirmed that at the family level, abuse, neglect, inconsistent educational styles between the two parents and severe discipline can be a risk factor for suffering from a disorder. behavioral disorder On the other hand, at the community level it has also been shown that rejection among peers, hanging out with groups of people who commit crimes and living in a neighborhood where acts of violence can be seen are risk factors for the development of this disorder and are more serious if they occur during childhood.
Biological: Those people who have biological parents with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or addictive disorders are more likely to have a conduct disorder. On the other hand, at the brain level, differences have also been observed between people who suffer from it and those who do not. Specifically, differences have been found in brain regions and connections related to the regulation and processing of emotions and affect.
Related to temperament: Temperament that is difficult to control during childhood manifested as bad behavior Together with an IQ below the average, it constitutes a risk factor, especially when it is the verbal IQ score that is below the average.
Treatment: Multisystemic therapy
To date, no individual treatment has been found that is effective for the treatment of conduct disorder In this sense, it has become evident that it is essential to include the patient, the family and their environment. One of the treatments that meets these requirements and that is used for the intervention of this disorder is multisystemic therapy that includes biological, psychosocial and psychoeducational treatment. Therefore, the treatment is carried out by an interdisciplinary team (psychologists, paediatricians, social workers, neurologists, etc.).
Multisystemic therapy is based on identifying the problems that arise in the child or adolescent, in their family and in the community in which they find themselves. In this way, its initial objective is to enhance and develop the resources of parents so that they can contain their child’s difficulties as well as to be able to face future family problems that may arise. In this way, it focuses on intervening in the different environments that surround the patient as well as developing responsible behaviors of the person who suffers from the disorder as well as the members who have a relationship with him or her.
Although we sometimes think that certain behaviors are the sole responsibility of those who suffer from them, the reality is that the environment in which we live significantly influences how we behave and relate. Childhood and adolescence are important periods for social learning and depending on the context in which we find ourselves, we can end up learning maladaptive behaviors. Therefore, it is essential that children and adolescents who suffer from a behavioral disorder receive the necessary treatment to intervene in the symptoms as well as to prevent criminal behavior and other psychological disorders during adulthood.
