Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder

This chapter investigates the psychological, physiological, and social aspects of conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). These disorders are classified in the disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders class in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2013). This chapter will consider the symptoms of ODD and CD and their effect on a child's social and biological development. The most common consequences of the disorders will be discussed: for example, the risk for other psychopathologies, social adversities, delinquency, and aggression. These severe outcomes signal the need for therapy options for children and adolescents and the assessment of their efficacy.