The adolescent behavior disorders

The alteration in adolescent behavior and the appearance of some behaviors are the most frequent problems in adolescence. When we talk about social behavior, we refer to participation in fights and arguments, defiant attitude towards authority, non-compliance with rules, aggression, bullying and theft.. If these behaviors occur frequently or generate problems in any of the adolescents' usual environments (social, family and / or academic), we could be talking about a Behavior Disorder , although this only happens between 2% and 4% of the cases .

In most cases, these behaviors are the manifestation of another disorder more frequent in adolescence: Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ), Mood Disorder or Substance use disorder , accompanied by certain psychological characteristics (low self-esteem) , feelings of insecurity and hostility to the environment). Depression in the adolescent , occurs very frequently with a continuous irritability, even reactive aggression before limits, and with a behavior in many cases negative, which may seem challenging.

ADHD frequently presents associated behavioral problems and a significant deterioration in its academic environment, in fact, approximately 60% of untreated cases present a Behavior Disorder. On the other hand, 80% of Substance Use Disorders are associated with a Behavior Disorder and such consumption is associated with symptoms of anxiety, depression and even between 20-30% of cases with ADHD.

The diagnosis of the problem and / or the underlying disorder of a behavior problem is the key to success in curing it. Pharmacological treatment can treat the current clinical picture and prevent future complications in a very satisfactory way, for example, in the case of ADHD, it reaches response rates of approximately 80%. In other cases, the combination with psychological therapy or other psychopedagogical interventions can improve the response.