title: Classes of adolescents with disruptive behaviors in a general population sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To study disruptive behaviors adequately, we need to distinguish between individuals with different types of problems that may have a different etiology. The availability of a taxonomic system that helps in identifying homogeneous groups of individuals, with similar patterns of disruptive behaviors, is crucial to achieve this goal. Therefore, we examine which classes of preadolescents with symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD) can be identified in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Disruptive behaviors of 2,230 10-12 year olds from the Dutch general population were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist and Youth Self-Report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Latent class analysis revealed three classes of preadolescents: the first characterized by high scores on ADHD, ODD, and CD items; a second by high probabilities of ADHD and ODD symptoms; a third with low scores on all items.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because classes of preadolescents with symptoms of only one type of disruptive behavior problems could not be identified, it can be questioned how useful separate diagnostic distinctions are in general population studies.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam/Sophia Children's Hospital, Dr. Molewaterplein 60, 3015 GJ, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frouke E P L
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Sondeijker
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ferdinand
authors.forename: Albertine J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Oldehinkel
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veenstra
authors.forename: Andea F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: De Winter
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ormel
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Verhulst
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods