Clinical work with antisocial behaviour in boys: Narrative interviews with clinical teams in Swedish child- and adolescent psychiatry

IntroductionThe aim with this study was to deepen the understanding of contextual aspects in child psychiatric clinical work with boys displaying antisocial behaviour.MethodAn explorative, qualitative approach, based on team narrations of authentic cases, was used.ResultsThe results indicate that clinicians consider a multitude of case characteristics when working with this heterogeneous group of boys. The assessment and treatment planning procedure appeared to be intertwined. The teams were unspecific regarding how needs were translated into treatment plans. The behaviour of a boy was discussed to sometimes evoke feelings of fear among parents and clinicians, thus alerting the need for instant interventions. Furthermore, the teams described a lack of consent and collaboration with other agencies. Unclear responsibilities sometimes seemed to affect the possibility to intervene properly.ConclusionsThe findings of this study are discussed in relation to evidence-based practices and illustrate how complicated the management of boys with antisocial behaviour can be.