Child and adolescent psychiatry: parent management training: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Psychiatry · Child and adolescent psychiatry: parent management training

Sample item

An 8-year-old boy is defiant, argumentative and loses his temper with adults at home and school but has not violated others' rights or broken laws. Which intervention is the first-line treatment?

ARisperidoneBMethylphenidateCLong-term residential placementDParent management training

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Parent management training

Parent management training teaches parents to reinforce positive behaviour consistently, give clear commands, and use consequences such as time-out. It is the first-line treatment of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct problems in children. Drugs are reserved for comorbid conditions or severe aggression.

Option by option

A. Risperidone
Risperidone is reserved for severe aggression after behavioural measures and is not first-line.
B. Methylphenidate
Methylphenidate treats ADHD, which is not described here.
C. Long-term residential placement
Residential placement is a last resort for severe conduct disorder.
D. Parent management training (correct)
Correct. Training parents in behavioural techniques is first-line.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is D, Parent management training. Parent management training teaches parents to reinforce positive behaviour consistently, give clear commands, and use consequences such as time-out.

Why is "Risperidone" not the answer?

Risperidone is reserved for severe aggression after behavioural measures and is not first-line.

Why is "Methylphenidate" not the answer?

Methylphenidate treats ADHD, which is not described here.

Why is "Long-term residential placement" not the answer?

Residential placement is a last resort for severe conduct disorder.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Child and adolescent psychiatry: parent management training in Psychiatry. It is the first-line treatment of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct problems in children. Drugs are reserved for comorbid conditions or severe aggression.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Child and adolescent psychiatry: parent management training?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.