Implications of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Children (DBT-C) on Conduct Disorder: A Case Study

Introduction: Clinical conditions of pre-adolescent age are of immense importance to be identified and treated, as it poses a high risk of developing some maladaptive personality pattern or mental and physical health problems in adulthood. Dialectical behavior therapy for children (DBT-C) targets emotional and behavioral dysregulation in pre-adolescent groups by presenting and packaging information into developmental and cognitive levels of children. Although DBT is not very commonly used with children, the present study aimed at understanding the role and efficacy of DBT-C in a nine-year-old child diagnosed with socialized conduct disorder (CD). Material and Methods: This study presented the execution of DBT-C on a nine-year-old male, Bengali speaking, hailing from an urban nuclear family with a diagnosis of socialized CD with prominent symptoms of behavioral problems, such as frequent anger outbursts, lying, playing with fire, running away from home, along with the presence of impulsivity, self-harming behavior, feelings of abandonment, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. The DBT-C targets children’s presenting problems, parent-child relationship, and decreases the risk of psychopathology in the future. Thus, the present case study aimed at reducing these behaviors using the DBT-C approach in a 10-session therapy plan to bring an overall well-being of the child. Results: After 10 sessions of DBT-C, qualitative analysis showed that there were reduced anger outbursts and self-harming thoughts. Also, there was improved self-control and interpersonal relationships, especially with parents. Quantitative analysis showed reduced scores on the Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders (DSMD) post-intervention. Discussion: Childhood psychiatric disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or CD may predict borderline personality disorder (BPD) in adulthood, particularly for boys. The present study showed the efficacy of DBT-C on a pre-adolescent child with CD along with emerging borderline personality traits.