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Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder

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Handbook of Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Abstract

The development of specific treatments for the symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) is a priority area for child and adolescent mental health. Antisocial behavior committed by children and adolescents has been on the rise and has been likened to an epidemic (Whitman, Benbow, & Good, 1996). Violence and criminal behavior attributed to adolescents continue to lead to substantial personal and social costs (Yoshikawa, 1994). However, as of yet there are few if any psychosocial treatments that have been clearly shown to reduce the personal and social impacts of juvenile antisocial behavior in a durable and reliable way (see Chapters 22 & 23, this volume). In some areas of child and adolescent psychopathology, pharmacotherapy offers a powerful approach in the treatment of mental disorders, and it is therefore important to look at the value of drug treatment in children with CD.

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Waslick, B., Werry, J.S., Greenhill, L.L. (1999). Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. In: Quay, H.C., Hogan, A.E. (eds) Handbook of Disruptive Behavior Disorders. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4881-2_21

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