Behavioural disorders: Treatment with psychotherapy and medications

For children diagnosed with a behavioural disorder, appropriate treatment at the right time can make the difference between "outgrowing" the disorder and being more likely to exhibit more challenging behaviours when they are older.

Often, treatments for behavioural disorders can be accessed through an accredited children's mental health agency or a private therapist such as a psychologist or social worker.

What treatments are available for behavioural disorders?

Treatments for behavioural disorders focus mainly on:

• behavioural treatments
• medications

Behavioural treatment

There are two main types of behavioural treatment: parent management training and psychotherapy.

Parent management training has been shown to work very well for children and teens with behavioural disorders. It is most effective when started early in childhood or the pre-teen years, but it is never too late to change the way you handle your child or teen's behaviour. In many cases, you can access parent management training through a children's mental health agency, a parenting group or a private therapist.

Individual therapy or family therapy can also be effective in helping to manage behavioural disorders. Therapy can help change how a family functions and support parents and children or teens with figuring out the causes of challenging behaviour and talking about other ways of handling them.

Sometimes more intensive behavioural treatment is required. School-based treatment programs or residential therapy programs can be effective for some children or teens.

Medications for behavioural disorders

Medication treatment for behavioural disorders is targeted towards treating underlying or co-occurring disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression or anxiety.

Importance of seeking treatment for teenagers with behavioural disorders

Without treatment, teenagers with behavioural disorders may:

• find it difficult to adjust to the demands of adulthood
• have trouble with the law
• have difficulty holding down a job or maintaining relationships
• be more likely to become adults with anti-social personality disorders

Suicidal or self-harming behaviour can also be common in teenagers with behavioural disorders.

Further information

For more information on behavioural disorders, please see the following pages:

Behavioural disorders: Overview

Behavioural disorders: Signs and symptoms

Behavioural disorders: How to help your child at home