CONDUCT

DISORDER
Luzelle Pearl L. Serrano
 01 INTRODUCTION

02 DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA

03 CAUSAL FACTOR

LIST OF 04 PREVALENCE

CONTENTS 05 RISK FACTORS

06 DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

07 PREVENTIVE MEASURES

08 TREATMENT

09 PROGNOSIS

10 TREATMENT
 CONDUCT DISORDER
Conduct disorder is a significant emotional and behavioral illness that
can affect children and teenagers. A kid with this disease may exhibit a
pattern of disruptive and aggressive conduct as well as difficulties
following rules.
It is not unusual for children and teenagers to experience behavioral
issues at some point throughout their growth. However, the behavior is
regarded a conduct disorder when it is persistent, violates the rights of
others, deviates from recognized standards of behavior, and disrupts the
child's or family's daily life (WebMD, 2022).
 CAUSAL FACTORS
Biological: Environmental:
Some studies suggest that defects or injuries to certain areas of
Factors such as a dysfunctional family life,
the brain can lead to behavior disorders. Conduct disorder has
childhood abuse, traumatic experiences, a family
been linked to particular brain regions involved in regulating
history of substance abuse, and inconsistent
behavior, impulse control, and emotion. Conduct disorder
discipline by parents may contribute to the
symptoms may occur if nerve cell circuits along these brain
development of conduct disorder.
regions do not work properly. Further, many children and teens
with conduct disorder also have other mental illnesses, such as
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning Psychological:
disorders, depression, substance abuse, or an anxiety disorder, Some experts believe that conduct disorders can
which may contribute to the symptoms of conduct disorder. reflect problems with moral awareness (notably, lack
of guilt and remorse) and deficits in cognitive
processing.
Genetics:
Many children and teens with conduct disorder have close family Social:
members with mental illnesses, including mood disorders, anxiety
Low socioeconomic status and not being accepted by
disorders, substance use disorders and personality disorders. This
their peers appear to be risk factors for the
suggests that a vulnerability to conduct disorder may be at least
development of conduct disorder.
partially inherited.

WebMD (25 August 2022). Medically reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD.

Mental Health and Conduct Disorder
 Causal
modeling
framework

Morton and Frith (1995) distinguish three levels of description, the biological level, the cognitive
level and the behavioural level, and a separate space for environmental influences which can
interact at the three levels. The biological level is used to describe genetic factors, brain conditions,
and causal links between the two. The influence of environmental factors such as birth
complications on brain conditions can be included at this level. At the cognitive level, affective as
well as cognitive factors can be included (Krol, 2014)
 PREVALENCE
In the United States, the lifetime prevalence was found to be 12.0% among
men and 7.1% among women. The prevalence of conduct disorder in
largely Western samples appears to be fairly consistent across various
countries. Prevalence rates rise from childhood to adolescence. Prevalence
of adolescent-onset conduct disorder is more frequently associated with
psychosocial stressors (DSM 5TR)

In the Philippines, the number of children in conflict with the law (CICL)
has increased in the recent decades. From 1986 to 1992, there were more
than 4000 cases of offenses committed by CICL in Metro Manila alone, and
in 2009, there were more than 11 000 children in conflict with the law
nationwide (Mariano, 2019)
 RISK FACTORS
A HISTORY OF CHILD CAREGIVER WHO HAS A MOOD
ABUSE OR NEGLECT OR ADDICTIVE DISORDER

EXPOSURE TO INCONSISTENT DISCIPLINE AND

VIOLENCE LACK OF ADULT SUPERVISION

FAMILY INSTABILITY POVERTY

FREQUENT CHANGES IN
CAREGIVERS
 Oppositional defiant disorder.
01 When criteria are met for both oppositional
defiant disorder and conduct disorder, both
diagnoses can be given.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

02 When criteria are met for both ADHD and conduct

differential
disorder, both diagnoses should be given.

Depressive and bipolar disorders.

03 In those cases in which criteria for conduct disorder and

DIAGNOSIS
a mood disorder are met, both diagnoses can be given.

Intermittent explosive disorder.

04 If criteria for both disorders are met, the diagnosis of

intermittent explosive disorder should be given only
when the recurrent impulsive aggressive outbursts
warrant independent clinical attention.

Adjustment disorders.
05 Conduct disorder is diagnosed only when the conduct
problems represent a repetitive and persistent
pattern that is associated with impairment in social,
academic, or occupational functioning.
 Preventive
MEASURES
Although it may not be possible to prevent conduct disorder,
recognizing and acting on symptoms when they appear can
minimize distress to the child and family, and prevent many of the
problems associated with the condition. In addition, providing a
nurturing, supportive, and consistent home environment with a
balance of love and discipline may help reduce symptoms and
prevent episodes of disturbing behavior (WebMD, 2022)
 Treatment
Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy for conduct disorder usually needs to target family life
and school with a focus on improving family dynamics, academic functioning and
improving your child’s behavior in the context of various environments.

Individual psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy: Individual therapy

for a child with conduct disorder focuses on developing problem-solving skills,
strengthening relationships by resolving conflicts and learning skills to decline
negative influences in their environment.

Parent management training: The goal of this therapy is to train the child’s parents to
set consistent discipline with proper rewarding of positive behaviors.

Pharmacological Treatment: Only treatment with medication is not sufficient.

Pharmacological agents are adjuncts in treatment for acute crisis intervention and
short-term management. The role of pharmacotherapy is mainly for the treatment of
the comorbid conditions, for example, ADHD or the symptomatic management of
aggression and impulsivity
Cleveland Clinic 2022. Conduct Disorder. [Link]
 Prognosis
According to Cleveland Clinic (2022), disruptive behaviors of conduct stop during early
adulthood, but in about one-third of cases, they continue. Many of these cases meet the
criteria for antisocial personality disorder.
Early onset of the condition (before 10 years of age) is associated with a poorer prognosis and
is strongly associated with a significant decline in school performance.
Some children and adolescents with conduct disorder develop other mental health
conditions, including:
Mood or anxiety disorders.
Somatic symptom disorder.
Alcohol use disorder and/or substance use disorder.
Early adult-onset psychotic disorders.
Depression and bipolar disorder may also develop in the teen years and early adulthood.
Suicidal ideation can be a complication of these conditions. It’s important to get your child
immediate medical care if they’re talking about or threatening suicide.
 References:
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition, text
revision. Washington: American Psychiatric Association, 2022.

Cleveland Clinic 2022. Conduct Disorder. [Link]

disorder

Krol, N. et al. (2004). Theories of conduct disorder. A causal modelling [Link] of Child Psychology
and Psychiatry 45(4):727-42 DOI:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00267.x

Mariano, M. (2019). Moral competence and conduct disorder among Filipino children in conflict with the law

WebMD (25 August 2022). Medically reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD. Mental Health and Conduct Disorder