title: Conduct disorder subtype and comorbidity.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-1410, USA. connor@psychiatry.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: Julian D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: Leonard A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Doerfler
mesh_terms: 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