Assessment of Disruptive Behaviour Disorders Among In-School Adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria

Disruptive Behaviour Disorders (DBDs), comprising Conduct Disorder (CD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), represent significant mental health concerns among adolescents due to their adverse effects on academic achievement, interpersonal relationships, and psychosocial development. Despite the growing burden of these disorders, there is a paucity of empirical evidence on their prevalence among adolescents attending secondary school in Lagos State, Nigeria. The research therefore examines the assessment of disruptive behaviour disorders. The quantitative research employed a descriptive survey design and 915 participants comprising males 49.5% (mean age = 14.94, SD = 1.57). The research employed a multistage sampling technique. The findings revealed that disruptive behaviour disorders were highly prevalent among the adolescents, with 90.4% exhibiting moderate to severe symptoms and 16.4% falling within the severe category. The prevalence of adolescents at risk of Conduct Disorder was 35.4%, while 83.4% were at risk of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The results further showed that female adolescents displayed significantly lower levels of DBDs compared to their male counterparts. The study concluded and recommended that DBDs (CD and ODD) are common among in-school adolescents in Lagos State and therefore school administrators, management, and owners should employ psychological intervention in addressing the rising disruptive behaviour symptoms among adolescents.