Maladaptive Aggression: Pediatric Mental Health Minute Series

Maladaptive Aggression is defined as an impulsive aggression that is usually unplanned, unprofitable and poorly controlled, or predatory aggression that can be planned, profitable and self-controlled aggressive behavior.  

Teaching Points

• Treatments should target the underlying conditions related to the youth’s aggression which requires knowing what you are treating via a comprehensive assessment.

• Avoid using two antipsychotic medications simultaneously (co-pharmacy) or more than two psychotropic medications (polypharmacy). Patients with complex, co-morbid conditions may benefit from more than one medication at a time but data on such combinations remains scant for most conditions.