ABSTRACT
Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders are a class of behaviors that include conditions involving problems with self-control of emotions and behaviors that create difficulties in personal and interpersonal domains. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the screening and assessment of disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders in pediatric primary care. Basic background information on disruptive behavior disorders, such as epidemiology, etiology, risk and protective factors, and diagnostic criteria is discussed. The roles of the primary care physician and behavioral health provider in the early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of disruptive behavior disorders are summarized. Specific instruments to screen and assess disruptive behaviors in primary care settings are discussed in detail, and a case example of the screening and assessment process in pediatric primary care is presented.
