An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis exploring how psychiatrists conceptualise conduct disorder and experience making the diagnosis

Abstract

The way professionals conceptualise CD likely impacts the identity of children given the diagnosis, yet how psychiatrists conceptualise CD, and experience making the diagnosis, is under-researched. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis explored how psychiatrists conceptualise CD and experience making the diagnosis. Semi-structured interviews captured participants’ lived experiences and associated meanings. Four superordinate themes emerged: ‘Parents and professionals are overwhelmed by their struggles with CD’; ‘What is CD? Uncertainty regarding the cause, but clarity that it is a severe problem’; ‘CD as a controversial construct’; and ‘Whose issue is it anyway? Battles with blame and responsibility’. The emerging problem-saturated narrative is discussed. Clinical implications include increased training, reflective practice and using a formulation-based approach.