Associations between psychopathic traits and mental disorders among adolescents with substance use problems.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the association between psychopathic traits and mental disorders and to study associations between psychopathic traits and familial problems across gender.


METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study.


METHODS
One hundred and Eighty adolescents seeking help at a substance abuse treatment clinic (99 girls, 81 boys) and their parents (165 mothers, 90 fathers) were studied. The assessment included Psychopathy checklist: Youth version (PCL-YV) and SCID I/II or Kiddie-Sads-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL).


RESULTS
Across gender, there was a positive correlation between externalizing symptoms and PCL-YV score. Among boys, there was a positive correlation between internalizing symptoms and PCL-YV score. Further, the behavioural dimension of psychopathy was predictive of externalizing symptoms across gender. The interpersonal and affective dimension of psychopathy predicted oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)-symptoms among girls. Parent problem behaviour predicted PCL-YV score amongst girls only.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychopathic traits do not only exist among adolescents who are identified because of their criminal behaviour. There were gender differences in the association between symptoms and psychopathic traits. It is suggested that different dimensions of psychopathy predisposed substance use for girls and for boys, and that ODD is particularly important in the expression of psychopathic traits among girls. This study showed transmission of antisocial behaviour between two generations among girls.
Hemphälä
Malin
M
Research Centre for Adolescent Psycho-Social Health, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. malin.hemphala@sll.se
Tengström
Anders
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires