A 16-Year-Old Boy Is Brought to the Physician by His

A 16-year-old boy is brought to the physician by his parents because they are worried about his behavior. For the past year, he has been setting mail boxes on fire in their neighborhood. Three months ago, he brought a box of matches to school and threatened to burn down a classroom. His father says, "We've tried everything, but he won't listen to us anymore. The last straw was when he broke into someone's car yesterday and stole a laptop!" The patient has no history of serious illness and takes no medications The patient does not smoke cigarettes. He drinks one to three beers on weekends. He has experimented with cocaine but has never used intravenous drugs. On mental status examination, he has an angry mood and anxious affect. He is fully oriented. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

A) Antisocial personality disorder
B) Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
C) Conduct disorder
D) Intermittent explosive disorder
E) Oppositional defiant disorder
F) Pyromania

Correct Answer:

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