The role of psychopathology in social skills training of children with conduct disorder

Abstract

Objectives. This paper deals with the relationship between the degree of behavioral problems, including the presence of symptoms like anxiety and depression, the efficiency of a conducted training in social skills by using mind mapping techniques, and recording the most frequent display of behavioral problems in children such as running away.

Material and methods. In a period of two years, 100 children, diagnosed with conduct disorder, have been examined. All of them have been accommodated in Correctional Boarding Schools (CBS), Social-Educational Boarding Schools (SEBS), and crisis centers. Clinical semi-structured interviews have been used, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Buss–Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI). Two groups of children were randomly formed (according to the principle of a sex balance only). Only one of the groups received training in social skills, and skills on how to solve a problem on the basis of a mind mapping card and on the escape situation.

Results. The results show that the average numbers of runaways, in the group of children with mild symptoms that have received training, are significantly lower in the six months period after conducting the study compared with the six months period before. The largest number of escapes, not changing as a result of the intervention, is present in the children with severe symptoms.

Conclusions. This study shows once again the need for an individualized approach to the work with children having behavioral problems, that are accommodated in Correctional Boarding Schools (CBS), Social-Educational Boarding Schools (SEBS), and crisis centers, an approach oriented towards the specific needs of each child.