Depressive conduct disorder: symptom patterns and correlates in referred children and adolescents.
BACKGROUND
In order to examine the validity of the ICD-10 diagnostic category of depressive conduct disorder (DCD), a sample of 58 patients (mean age 11.6) with this diagnosis consecutively referred to a teaching hospital was compared with 151 patients with conduct disorder (CD) (mean age 12.3) and with 128 patients with depressive disorder (DD) (mean age 14.2).


METHODS
Data on symptom profile, sociodemographic characteristics, duration of disorder, family history and psychosocial background were collected using the Maudsley item sheet. Comparison of the three groups was performed using SPSS.


RESULTS
Controlling for age and gender differences, the DCD group had fewer biological depressive symptoms, fewer anxiety symptoms, less guilt and lower severity of overall depression compared to the DD group. They also displayed more self-injurious behaviour and had more adverse psychosocial circumstances than the DD subjects. Compared to the CD group, the DCD patients were less overtly aggressive and violent than the CD subjects, in addition to having significant depressive symptoms and a more frequent history of abuse.


CONCLUSIONS
The study was based on case-control and diagnosis had been reached after the discussion of clinicians involved in assessment.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the results tentatively support the validity of this diagnostic subgrouping.
Department of Child Psychiatry, Lanesbourough Wing, St George's Hospital, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, UK.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications