Attachment and conduct disorder: The Response Programme.

An increasing number of youths are being identified as suffering from behavioral problems that cause difficulties in their family and peer relations, which in turn reduce their chances of academic and vocational success. The common diagnosis given to these disaffiliated youths is conduct disorder. A community-oriented program designed to ensure long-term care for these youths is described. The program is designed to focus members of the youth's environment on the attachment and affiliation issues related to his/her current functioning and needs. The findings of a 6-mo follow-up of 89 program participants indicate that communities, caregivers, and youths responded positively to the program. Caregivers reported significant reductions in a broad range of psychiatric symptoms in youths, and youths reported a significant reduction in symptoms of conduct disorder.