Understanding Callous and Unemotional Behaviors in Children and Adolescents
Dec 18, 2023
auto_awesome
Learn about callous unemotional behaviors in children and adolescents, including prevalence rates and environmental factors. Explore assessment methods, parenting interventions, and adaptations for treatment. Discover the debate over positive reinforcement and the importance of evidence-based interventions. Find out about treatment options and the significance of addressing comorbid conditions and moral development.
Callous unemotional behaviors can lead to conduct problems, antisocial behavior, criminality, and substance use disorders if left untreated.
Parenting interventions focusing on increasing warmth and reducing harshness have shown effectiveness in older children with callous unemotional behaviors.
Deep dives
Understanding Callous Unemotional Behaviors
Callous Unemotional Behaviors are characterized by a lack of empathy, guilt, and pro-social behaviors. Children with these behaviors often display shallow emotions, lack of motivation, and show little concern for social norms or others' distress. While these behaviors can be concerning, it is important to remember that they are treatable, especially in early childhood. Genetic factors contribute to these behaviors, but they can be shaped through interventions that target emotional and cognitive characteristics.
Consequences of Unaddressed Callous Unemotional Behaviors
If left untreated, callous unemotional behaviors can lead to conduct problems, antisocial behavior, criminality, and substance use disorders. Children with active disregard for others or low empathy are at a higher risk for developing these negative outcomes. Empathy is innate in young children, but children with callous unemotional behaviors lack this ability to feel what others are feeling. Early intervention is crucial to address and modify these behaviors.
Interventions for Callous Unemotional Behaviors
Parenting interventions that focus on increasing warmth and reducing harshness have shown effectiveness in older children with callous unemotional behaviors. For younger children, interventions target emotional development and social skills to increase empathy and pro-social behaviors. Assessing and identifying trauma history can provide insights into the type of callous unemotional behaviors present. It is important to treat comorbid conditions such as ADHD and depression, as well as provide support and therapy for both parents and children in addressing and improving callous unemotional behaviors.
Callous unemotional behaviors can be challenging to understand. One community study of 1136 children (from 3rd-7th grade) found that 10%–32% of those with conduct disorder and 2%–7% of those without conduct disorder met the callous emotional specifier threshold in the DSM-5. In this episode, we will discuss what callous unemotional behaviors are, how they look like, how to assess these behaviors, types of interventions, and more.
Dr. Meghan Rose Donohue joins us today to help us unpack this topic. She is an instructor in psychiatry and works in the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine.
Joshua Feder, MD, and Mara Goverman, LCSW, have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode