Evidence-based assessment/Conduct disorder (assessment portfolio)

What is a "portfolio"?

 * For background information on what assessment portfolios are, click the link in the heading above.
 * Want more information? There's a extended version of this page here.

Diagnostic criteria for Conduct disorder
ICD-11 Diagnostic Criteria Conduct-dissocial disorder is characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behaviour in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms, rules, or laws are violated such as aggression towards people or animals; destruction of property; deceitfulness or theft; and serious violations of rules. The behaviour pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. To be diagnosed, the behaviour pattern must be enduring over a significant period of time (e.g., 12 months or more). Isolated dissocial or criminal acts are thus not in themselves grounds for the diagnosis.

Note: The ICD-11 lists 8 additional subcategories of conduct-dissocial disorder. They can be found here with more information.

Changes in DSM-5
 * The diagnostic criteria for Conduct disorder changed slightly from DSM-IV to DSM-5. Summaries are available here.

Base rates of conduct disorder in different clinical settings and populations
This section describes the demographic setting of the population(s) sampled, base rates of diagnosis, country/region sampled and the diagnostic method that was used. Using this information, clinicians will be able to anchor the rate of conduct disorder that they are likely to see in their clinical practice.


 * To see prevalence rates across multiple disorders, click here.

Note: Despite a plethora of studies assessing prevalence of comorbidity of conduct disorder with other disorders (e.g., substance abuse, bipolar, ADHD), searches outlined below did not yield a single study providing a prevalence of conduct disorder alone in an outpatient or community clinic setting.

Recommended screening instruments for conduct disorder
Note: Reliability and validity are included in the extended version. This table includes measures with Good or Excellent ratings.

Gold standard diagnostic interviews

 * For a list of broad reaching diagnostic interviews sortable by disorder with PDFs (if applicable), click here.

Semi-structured and Structured Diagnostic Interviews
Note: Reliability and validity are included in the extended version. This table includes measures with Good or Excellent ratings.

Process phase
The following section contains a brief overview of treatment options for Conduct disorder and list of process and outcome measures for Conduct disorder. The section includes benchmarks based on published norms for several outcome and severity measures, as well as information about commonly used process measures. Process and outcome measures are used as part of the process phase of assessment. For more information of differences between process and outcome measures, see the page on the process phase of assessment.

Outcome and severity measures
This table includes clinically significant benchmarks for Conduct disorder specific outcome measures


 * Information on how to interpret this table can be found here.
 * Additionally, these vignettes might be helpful resources for understanding appropriate adaptation of outcome measures in practice.
 *  For clinically significant change benchmarks for the CBCL, YSR, and TRF total, externalizing, internalizing, and attention benchmarks,  see here.

Statistically significant change benchmarks with common instruments

Note: “A” = Away from the clinical range, “B” = Back into the nonclinical range, “C” = Closer to the nonclinical than clinical mean

Search terms: (1)“antisocial process screening device,” (2) antisocial process screening device AND benchmarks, searches previously mentioned.

External Resources
See Effective Child Therapy, a website sponsored by The Society for Child and Adolescent Psychology (APA, Division 53) and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), for current summary of evidence-based treatments.
 * Antisocial personality disorder
 * Bullying
 * Oppositional defiant disorder
 * Parental alienation
 * Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
 * EffectiveChildTherapy.Org information on rule-breaking, defiance, and acting out