Conduct disorder subtype and comorbidity.
BACKGROUND
Conduct disorder is considered difficult to treat, but comorbid psychiatric disorders may be a basis for treating some youths with conduct disorder. We sought to identify patterns of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and psychopathology associated with conduct disorder by reported age-of-onset.


METHODS
Referred children and adolescents, aged 4-17 years old, were clinically evaluated. Ages of onset of CD symptoms (N=53) were ascertained and divided according to DSM-IV criteria as childhood onset (<10 years old) or adolescent onset (>or=10 years old).


RESULTS
Childhood-onset conduct disorder was associated with higher rates of ADHD and anxiety disorders, male gender, and perceived and total hostility scores than adolescent-onset conduct disorder. Adolescent-onset was associated with higher rates of PTSD, alcohol and substance use disorders, complex comorbidity (i.e., 6+ diagnoses lifetime), and female gender.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding age-of-onset-related patterns of comorbidity may facilitate psychiatric treatment planning in children and adolescents with conduct disorder.
Connor
Daniel F
DF
Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-1410, USA. connor@psychiatry.uchc.edu
Ford
Julian D
JD
Albert
David B
DB
Doerfler
Leonard A
LA
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology