Abstract
This naturalistic study of diagnostic practice in residential treatment agencies for children investigated the use of the DSM-IVconduct disorder diagnosis and its association with residents’ externalizing behaviors. The conduct disorder (CD) diagnosis was a poor predictor of participants’ externalizing behaviors during their first few months in residence. Additionally, the assignment of the diagnosis was associated with the gender and race of study participants. Decisions of admissions personnel and practitioners in residential treatment facilities regarding their externalizing clients may not be well-served by use of DSM diagnoses. Assessments of caregivers may prove a useful adjunct to DSM diagnoses.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the Child Welfare League of America for their support of this project and their technical assistance, especially Alicia Drais-Parillo; and the Center for the Study of Social Work Practice, a joint program of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services and Columbia University School of Social Work. The authors also wish to acknowledge Ed Mullen, Stuart Kirk, Peg Hess, and Christina Hoven for their thoughtful comments on an earlier version of this study.
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Cameron, M., Guterman, N.B. Diagnosing Conduct Problems of Children and Adolescents in Residential Treatment. Child Youth Care Forum 36, 1–10 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-006-9027-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-006-9027-6