Rosh Psychiatry Board Practice Exam

For a 14-year-old boy exhibiting violent behavior and multiple incidents of theft and bullying, what is the most appropriate treatment approach?

1. Interpersonal therapy

2. Parent management training

3. Psychodynamic psychotherapy

4. Social rhythm therapy

The correct answer is: Parent management training

The most appropriate treatment approach for a 14-year-old boy exhibiting violent behavior, theft, and bullying is parent management training. This intervention is particularly effective for adolescents displaying oppositional, aggressive, or disruptive behaviors. Parent management training focuses on educating parents about effective parenting strategies that promote positive behavior in their children. It teaches parents how to use reinforcement techniques, set clear expectations, and implement consistent consequences for negative behavior. By enhancing the parent-child relationship and improving the parent’s skills in managing the child’s behavior, this approach addresses the underlying family dynamics that contribute to the child’s conduct issues. The other options, while they may have some applicability in broader contexts, do not specifically address the immediate behavioral challenges posed by the adolescent's actions. Interpersonal therapy, for example, is more suited for relational issues and emotional disturbances rather than conduct disorder. Psychodynamic psychotherapy may delve into unconscious conflicts and past experiences, but it doesn't provide the structured behavior management that a child exhibiting conduct problems might need. Social rhythm therapy primarily focuses on mood disorders and the regulation of daily routines, which does not directly target the behavioral issues described in this scenario.