Page 55 - Age of onset of disruptive behavior of residentially treated adolescents -Sjoukje de Boer

with less severe psychiatric disorders and disruptive behavior. More research should be conducted among clinical and non-clinical samples to confirm this generalization.
In our study, we found characteristics that distinguish patients with EO from
those with AO. We identified three independent childhood characteristics that 3 predicted membership of the early-onset group: grade retention in primary school, impulsive behavior and being physically abused. Other characteristics partly overlap in
their ability to identify EO disruptive behavior. As these characteristics are not systematically collected in clinical practice, clinicians should attempt to collect information on as many as possible. The chance that the adolescent has EO disruptive behavior strongly increases in the presence of one or more of these characteristics. Because the characteristics are reasonably easy to identify, they may help clinicians to
target their treatment. Adolescents with EO disruptive behavior probably benefit from interventions aimed at personality traits (psychopathic traits, impulsivity, hostility, alienation, and callousness), developing social skills (unless the individual has callous, unemotional psychopathic personality traits), aggression regulation, and education. Whereas adolescents with AO disruptive behavior probably benefit from interventions
that prevent truancy or dropout from school, assertiveness therapy, or interventions
that help to prevent (further) delinquent behavior.
In conclusion, in routine clinical practice information should be collected on early impulsive behavior, grade retention in primary school, and physical abuse, as this background of adolescents with severe disruptive behavior can help distinguish adolescents with early-onset from those with adolescent-onset disruptive behavior.
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