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Sub-Category:

Conduct Disorder

Specialty: Pediatrics

Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Conditions

Sub-category: Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Symptoms:
aggressive behavior (e.g., bullying, physical fights); destruction of property; deceitfulness or theft; serious violations of rules (e.g., truancy, running away); lack of empathy or remorse

Root Cause:
Dysfunction in the emotional and social processing areas of the brain due to genetic, environmental, and social factors, including family dysfunction, trauma, and peer influences.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation based on DSM-5 criteria, including a persistent pattern of behavior violating societal norms or the rights of others for at least 12 months, with at least three symptoms from the diagnostic criteria.

Treatment:
Multimodal treatment, including individual psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy), parent management training, and family therapy. School-based interventions may also be utilized.

Medications:
Medications are not specifically approved for conduct disorder but may be used to treat comorbid conditions. Stimulants (e.g., methylphenidate ) or non-stimulants (e.g., guanfacine ) for ADHD symptoms, SSRIs (e.g., sertraline ) for mood regulation, or atypical antipsychotics (e.g., aripiprazole ) for aggression or severe behavioral issues.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 2-10% of children and adolescents, with higher rates in males compared to females.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history of mental health disorders, childhood maltreatment or neglect, exposure to violence, parental substance abuse, peer rejection, and socioeconomic challenges.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Early intervention improves outcomes; untreated conduct disorder may persist into adulthood, potentially developing into antisocial personality disorder.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Academic failure, substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, incarceration, and persistent mental health issues in adulthood.