The diagnosis and treatment of conduct disorders in young people

Conduct disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders currently encountered in young people. The condition 'conduct disorder' is, however, an 'umbrella concept' which affects divergent personality subtypes. Treatment in the past, based on such an 'umbrella concept', has often proved itself prognostically dubious. This article stresses the need for the direction of management towards differential diagnosis and treatment of the various conduct disorder subtypes.