Inpatient treatment of conduct disorders in childhood and adolescence - A retrospective analysis of case numbers and treatment duration

Objective: Conduct disorders (CD) are among the most frequently diagnosed disorders in child and adolescent psychiatry. However, to date, a thorough analysis of clinical case numbers and treatment duration in children and adolescents is missing. Method: Data provided by the German Federal Health Monitoring System were analyzed for the period from 2000-2007 with respect to case numbers, treatment duration and different subtypes of disorders related to the CD spectrum. Results: The number of inpatients (children / adolescents under the age of 19) with CD increased significantly between 2000 and 2007 from approximately 70/100.000 in 2000 to 110/100.000 in 2007. This development is contrasted by a general decrease in treatment duration during the same period. Conclusions: Data from the present investigation provide preliminary evidence that the inpatient case numbers of patients with CD have increased. However, an overall decline in treatment duration was observed. Future research is needed to further investigate the prevalence rate of CD.