The authors believe that the common childhood syndrome of primary behavior disorder is a form of anxiety ('actual') neurosis and must be differentiated from habit disorders, neurotic traits, and psychoneuroses (symptomatic and character neuroses). Differentiation is important because each requires different treatment. Such differentiation also permits the inclusion of primary behavior disorder of childhood in the general psychodynamic nosology of anxiety neuroses, psychoneuroses, psychoses, and character disturbances.

In his discussion, Dr. Friend suggests that the authors have not satisfactorily demonstrated that 'actual' neuroses account for the syndrome of primary behavior disorders with conduct disturbances. Their dissociation of these disturbances from habit type and neurotic traits is arbitrary.