title: Diagnostic threshold for conduct disorder in girls and boys.
abstract: Concerns about gender bias in the diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder (CD) have prompted some researchers to recommend that the diagnostic threshold in girls be lowered. Since CD is a highly familial condition, the authors assessed the diagnostic validity of subthreshold CD in girls using family study methodology. They compared the rates of antisocial disorders (CD and antisocial personality disorder) in relatives of four groups of index children: children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and full, subthreshold, or no CD diagnoses and non-ADHD/non-CD control subjects. Results showed no interaction between gender and familiality across the four groups. Furthermore, there was no significant evidence of familiality of subthreshold CD. From a family genetic perspective, the diagnostic threshold for CD does not appear to differ by gender. The current results support the possibility that differential rates of CD reflect actual differences in rates of antisocial behavior across gender.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Child Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, ACC-725, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Alysa E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Biederman
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monuteaux
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Cohan
authors.forename: Hannah-Lise T
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.forename: Stephen V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Faraone
mesh_terms: D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors