In recent years, the rates of psychosocial disorders in children and adolescents have increased, with behavioural manifestations of
conduct disorder being one of the most common reasons for referrals to community psychiatrists. Childhood conduct problems are associated with a variety of
psychiatric disorders in adult life that extend beyond antisocial behaviour. An increased awareness of the costs of
conduct disorder to individuals, families and society has led to advancements in the pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapeutic modalities for this disorder. Despite this, patients with
conduct disorder are difficult to treat as the patterns of maladaptive behaviours they exhibit are diverse and can vary as a function of age and sex. A multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of
conduct disorder, which includes behavioural parent training, interpersonal skills training, family therapy and the use of psychotropic agents targeted at a particular cluster of symptoms, can increase the overall effectiveness of each of the applied interventions. Aggression, hyperactivity, impulsivity and mood symptoms are the most sensitive proximal targets. Evidence suggests that
antipsychotics,
antidepressants, mood stabilisers,
antiepileptic drugs, stimulants and
adrenergic drugs can be well tolerated and effective therapeutic options for individuals with
conduct disorder and comorbid psychiatric conditions. However, the most successful therapeutic outcomes are likely to be achieved by combining the current advances in psychopharmacology with behavioural and psychosocial interventions, aimed at modifying the excessive patterns of maladaptive behaviours observed in
conduct disorder.