Cognitive Behavioural Approaches to Treating Children and Adolescents with Conduct Disorder

by Linda Baker & Karen Scarth (2002)

The treatment of children and adolescents with conduct disorder is one of the greatest challenges for children's mental health programs. Failure to intervene effectively is costly for the young people, their families, and society. Research points to cognitive behavioural approaches. This book enables practitioners from a variety of disciplines and settings (i.e., residential, school, community-based treatment programs) to learn about cognitive behaviourism and its use in the treatment of conduct disorder with clients at different developmental stages. Specific intervention strategies are described and application steps are illustrated with actual case examples drawn from clinical experience. Challenges, frequently asked questions and barriers are addressed. Paper and pencil tools are included to facilitate the application of cognitive behavioural strategies with clients and their families. This resource was prepared for Children's Mental Health Ontario as part of their Evidence-based Practices Project. 140 pages.

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Cognitive Behavioural Approaches to Treating Children and Adolescents with Conduct Disorder

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Background and theory

  • Conduct disorder

    • what is conduct disorder?

    • what contributes to the development of conduct disorder?

    • how does conduct disorder get diagnosed?

    • behaviour categories

    • how common is conduct disorder?

    • are there gender differences in conduct disorder?

    • do children and youth with conduct disorder have other problems too?

    • self-help resources

  • Effective Treatment Approaches for Conduct Disorder

    • what is evidence-based practice?

    • why is evidence-based practice important?

    • what does the research about treatment of conduct disorder show?

    • what does the research for cognitive behavioural therapy for conduct disorder show?

    • key cognitive behavioural strategies

  • Theory of cognitive behaviourism

    • what is cognitive behaviourism?

    • how can thoughts, feelings and behaviours be linked in different ways for different individuals?

    • thinking paterns are based on experience

    • beliefs create experiences

    • changing experience through treatment

    • how would cognitive behavioural treatment be relevant to youths with conduct disoder?

• Cognitive Behavioural Treatment Strategies

  • Introduction

  • Environmental strategies

    • behavioural management

      • ABCs of behaviour

      • positive and negative consequences

      • timing of consequences

      • nature of consequences

      • natural consequences

      • development of prosocial behaviours and values

      • application

      • case example

      • self-help resources

    • modelling as a teaching device

      • what is modelling?

      • who are adolescents and children most likely to copy?

      • how can modelling as a teaching device be used in daily situations?

      • am I an effective model for my clents?

      • application

      • case examples

  • Cognitive strategies

    • social problen solving

      • what is problem solving?

      • problem solving skills

      • values education

      • application

      • case example

      • self-help resources

    • cognitive restructuring and self-management

      • automatic thoughts

      • what is cognitive restructuring?

      • how do you identify someone's belief and their link to feelings and actions?

      • relational analysis

      • how do you help a client change his/het thinking (or restructure cognitions)>

      • self monitoring and self talk

      • why is it so hard for us to change our beliefs?

      • how do we make it less painful?

      • applicaion

      • case example

      • self-help resources

• Application Issues

  • Assessment of barriers to change

    • common trouble spots

    • helping clients to manage intense emotions

    • self-help resources

  • Homework

• Appendices

  • Toolkit

    • forms for the children's mental health practitioner

      • assessment form

      • staff progress report (pre-treatment)

      • staff progress report (post-treatment)

      • treatment planner

      • behaviour analysis

      • strategy plan for use of modelling

      • strategy plan for use of role plays

      • planning work sheet for development of cognitive skills

      • trouble spoys (when change isn't happening)

    • client forms

      • client progress report (pre-treatment)

      • client progress report (post-treatment)

      • client goals -- part I

      • client goals -- part II

      • problem solving worksheet

      • Client worksheet for analuzing thoughts - feelings - actions

    • parent forms

      • parent progress report (pre-treatment)

      • parent progress report (post-treatment)

      • parent notes

      • parent plan for use of consequences

      • parent worksheet (modelling)

      • parent worksheet (self-esteem)

  • Frequently asked questions

• Resources

This handbook is available from Children's Mental Health Ontario and can also be purchased from the Centre for $30.00 plus shipping and handling. Check out the order form for details. We accept credit card purchases.

Also of interest...

Effecting Change: A Cognitive Behavioral Approach to Working with Youths in Custody (1997) An overview of the principles of cognitive-behavioral theory and its application, designed for staff working with youths whose anti-social behavior has brought them into custody facilities. This training manual and companion video can be used for individual study or group sessions. Emphasis is on how workers can incorporate tools into their existing skill bag, or modify existing skills, for use in daily interactions with residents.

Treating Child and Adolescent Depression: A Handbook for Children's Mental Health Practitioners (2002) This handbook was prepared for Children's Mental Health Ontario as part of their Evidence-based Practices Project to promote the recognition and effective treatment of depression in children and adolescents. This user-friendly resource is designed to enhance knowledge about depression and the promising intervention strategies currently used to treat it. Child and youth counsellors and other professionals will use the strategies in residential and community-based settings. A tool kit containing checklists, treatment objectives, and worksheets is provided to facilitate risk assessment for suicide, safety planning, and interventions to manage and reduce depression.