Abstract
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of combined treatment on children diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorder.
Method:
After careful screening by two interviewer, 67 children (55.8%) diagnosed with Attention-Defi cit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defi ant Disorder (ODD) and 53 children (44.2%) diagnosed with ADHD and Conduct Disorder (CD) were between 6-13 years old included in the study. Children between 6-11 years were medicated with 5 mg/day methylphenidate, between 11-13 years 10 mg/gün methylphenidate. Treatment consisted of ongoing medication (methylphenidate) management and a parent-training program that continued for 18 months. Children were assessed in multiple domains by multiple sources of information at baseline and at the end of the 1st, 6th, 12th, and 18th months by parent- and teacher-completed the Turgay Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV)-Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (T-DSM-IV-S), Conners Parent Rating Scale (CPRS), and Conners Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS). Mother-child relationship was assessed by the Parental Acceptance and Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ).
Results:
Combined treatment was effective in reducing the ADHD, ODD, and CD symptoms. Analyses of the data revealed that medication, rather than parent training, was responsible for the improvements both in the symptoms and in the mother-child relationship.
Discussion:
The results of the study, in line with the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA) fi ndings, highlighted the role of stimulant medication in the long term treatment of ADHD.
Keywords: Attention-defi cit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, treatment
