Conduct disorder in girls: Diagnostic and intervention issues

Abstract

Current prevalence rates of Conduct Disorder (CD) in girls may be an underestimate due to inappropriate diagnostic criteria, biased perceptions by those responsible for reporting problematic behavior, and differential social constraints for each gender. Relatively few published studies of CD and related behaviors in girls exist. Available evidence suggests adolescent girls with CD have a poor outcome including early and violent death, arrest, substance abuse and dependence, antisocial personality disorder, failure to finish high school, pregnancy, sexual promiscuity, and contraction of sexually transmitted disease. Even with its relatively low, possibly underestimated prevalence rate in comparison with that of boys, CD has been found to be the second most common psychiatric disorder in adolescent girls. In addition to examining possible reasons for the lack of research on CD in girls, this article reviews possible risk factors and suggested assessment and intervention strategies for this population. Particular attention is paid to implications for practitioners in the school setting. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Males are consistently diagnosed with Conduct Disorder (CD) at a higher rate than females. Specifically, males under the age of 18 exhibit rates ranging from 6% to 16% of the population while females' rates range from 2% to 9% (Sholevar & Sholevar, 1995). However, although there are relatively few published studies of CD and related behaviors in girls (Zoccolillo, 1993), current prevalence rates of CD in the female population may be an underestimate. The underestimate may be due to inappropriate diagnostic criteria, biased perceptions by those responsible for reporting problematic behavior, and differential social constraints for each gender. Adolescent girls with CD have a poor outcome, including early and violent death, arrest, substance abuse and dependence, antisocial personality disorder, failure to finish high school, pregnancy (Zoccolillo, Tremblay, & Vitaro, 1996), sexual promiscuity, and contraction of sexually transmitted disease (Bardone et al., 1998).Even with its relatively low prevalence rate in comparison with that of boys, CD has been found to be the second most common psychiatric disorder in adolescent girls (Cohen, Cohen, & Brooks, 1993). In light of the poor prognosis for girls with this disorder, the possibility of an underestimation in prevalence rates for CD in girls, and the lack of research in this area, more attention to this issue is warranted. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review available evidence in relation to the following questions: What are the reasons for the paucity of research on CD in girls? Why might CD rates be higher among girls than current information suggests? What are the possible causes and risk factors for CD in girls? What assessment and intervention techniques are suggested by available research in this area? It is hoped that the answers to these questions will provide additional information for school psychologists and other school personnel...

Association Between Mental and Physical Health Problems in High-Risk Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study

“…For instance, depression is associated with poor self-care [20], and people with depression often sleep less, exercise less, have poorer diets, smoke more, and use more alcohol and other drugs than those who are not depressed [15]. Research has also shown that psychiatric disorders in adolescents are often related to risky behaviors, including substance abuse, unsafe sex, and suicide attempts resulting in health problems [4,11,12]. Finally, anxiety, depression, and disruptive disorders have been linked to poor eating habits and lack of exercise, leading to elevated weight status that is maintained from childhood into adulthood [21,22].…”

“…Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. [4,6,9,10], oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) [4,11,12]. However, studies of adolescents tend to be either crosssectional or conducted in clinical samples focused only on one type of disorder.…”

A Descriptive Study on Sexually Exploited Children in Residential Treatment

“…The literature reviewed supported a relationship between abuse, prostitution, delinquency, and relevant mental health issues (Chesney-Lind 2001;Delligatti et al 2003;Earls and David 1990;Fall and Craig 1998;Greene et al 1999;Hoyt et al 1999;Miller and Tripani 1995;Rhodes and Fischer 1993;Schissel and Fedec 1999;Tyler et al 2000;Widom and Khuns 1996). A common finding was that sexual abuse had both direct and indirect effects on female adolescents (Tyler et al 2000).…”

The short term effect of a group drumming intervention on aggressive behaviour among adolescent girls diagnosed with conduct disorder

“…In addition, these results contribute to the limited body of knowledge on interventions for girls with conduct disorder 12 . This study was limited by the relatively small initial sample size (n=32), which was further aggravated by participant drop-out leading to a final sample size of 26.…”

“…A perusal of literature revealed that treatment interventions for aggressive behaviour focused largely on boys with comparatively few studies focusing on the treatment of conduct disorder in girls 12 . Therefore, considering the high prevalence of school-based violence in SA, and the potential of collective drumming as a therapeutic intervention revealed in prior studies, the question arose whether group drumming could be an effective occupation-based intervention for the short-term reduction of aggression among adolescent girls diagnosed with conduct disorder within the South African context.…”