Medication and Conduct Disorder: Professional\u27s Perceptions of its Helpfulness

This study explores the use of medication to treat children diagnosed with conduct disorder. The use of medication to treat this disorder is a controversial issue, and one that has been well researched in inpatient settings by psychiatrists. However, parents of these children and social workers serving these families need to be informed of its usefulness on a basis that can be applied to other settings, since many of these children are discharged from inpatient settings back into their families and original communities. This study surveyed 7 staff of a behavioral health unit where children diagnosed with conduct disorder were being treated. The survey used consisted of items borrowed from the Conners\u27 Rating Scales, as well as questions of this researcher\u27s own design (Conners, Sitarenios, Parker, and Epstein, 1998). Findings indicated that children most likely benefited from the inpatient environment and treatment rather than medications. The implications for practice are also outlined and include the importance of social workers being informed about interventions that are most effective in the treatment of this disorder