title: Associations between temperament and DSM-IV externalizing disorders in children and adolescents.
abstract: This study investigated associations between child temperament and DSM-IV disorders in children. A total of 156 probands (97 boys, 59 girls; mean age = 10.78 years) and 154 randomly selected siblings were assessed using the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI) and a structured DSM-IV interview. Subjects were placed in nonoverlapping groups of (1) attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) only, (2) disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) only, (3) DBD plus an affective and/or anxiety disorder (DBD+Int), and (4) controls with no diagnosis. Many JTCI scales were found to differ between diagnostic groups and controls. Regression analyses showed independent associations between low persistence and ADHD-only group membership, high novelty seeking (NS), and the DBD-only group and between high harm avoidance (HA) and DBD+Int group membership. The interaction NS x HA was related to the ADHD-only group. Future research is needed to determine the mechanism of these association.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA. david.rettew@uvm.edu
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Rettew
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Copeland
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stanger
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hudziak
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament