Conduct Disorders Found in One in 20 Preschool Children
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iStock/Thinkstock(ST. LOUIS) — There’s always one in every crowd. In the case of children, it’s that one preschooler in a classroom of 20 who is diagnosed with a conduct disorder.
Although a lot of young kids will act up and throw an occasional tantrum, those exhibiting signs of a conduct disorder may have a serious emotional problem that can persist through adulthood, according to Washington University School of Medicine researchers.
This condition is characterized by vindictive behavior due to pent-up aggression that borders on being anti-social.
Senior investigator Dr. Joan L. Luby says that a conduct disorder differs from normal disruptive behavior in preschool since it can also be accompanied by violence towards people or the destruction of property.
The study found that more than half of kids with conduct disorders come from single-parent homes or didn’t live with either biological parent. Furthermore, about half of the children were from households earning less than $20,000 annually and over half were diagnosed with depression.
Luby says that if a child exhibits signs of conduct disorder, parents or guardians should seek out a psychiatrist to begin diagnosis and treatment.
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