Author

Alyssa Saiz

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to identify the most central risk factors associated with conduct disorder (CD), to delineate three possible developmental pathways of CD that may have predictive validity for adult manifestation of conduct problems, to identify prevention and intervention strategies, to make recommendations for future research directions, and discuss clinical implications of the developmental trajectories of CD. Extant literature was collected and thoroughly analyzed in order to identify risk factors and developmental trajectories of CD, as well as treatment recommendations. The three developmental pathways of CD include: adolescent-onset, childhood-onset with emotional and behavioral regulation problems, and childhood-onset with callous-unemotional traits. Risk factors, outcomes, and interventions of each of the three developmental pathways to CD are discussed. Limitations of the developmental pathways to CD are the inability to generalize these results to females with CD as most of the research analyzed contained samples that were entirely or largely male. Future directions of research include examining CD within the developmental pathway orientation, continuing to identify which risk factors are specific to pathways, and developing interventions that are tailored to pathway-specific symptoms.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Dissertations (PsyD) -- Psychology; Conduct disorders in adolescence; Conduct disorders in children

Date of Award

2015

School Affiliation

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Department/Program

Psychology

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate

Faculty Advisor

Ho, Judy;

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