title: The role of callous and unemotional traits in the diagnosis of conduct disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Callous and unemotional (CU) traits might usefully subtype DSM-IV conduct disorder (CD). We investigate this hypothesis in a large, nationally representative sample of 5-16-year-olds. We also examine the characteristics of children with high CU traits but without CD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data come from the 2004 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey including 7,977 children, 5,326 of whom were followed up after 3 years. DSM-IV diagnoses of psychiatric disorder were based on parent, teacher and child report. CU traits were assessed by parent report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 2% of the sample who were diagnosed with DSM-IV CD, 46.1% were high on CU traits. In addition, 2.9% of the sample were high on CU traits without CD. Children with CD and CU traits showed more severe behavioural disturbance and were at substantially higher risk of CD diagnosis 3 years later. Children high on CU traits without CD showed evidence of disturbed functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subtyping CD using CU traits identifies children with more severe and persistent psychopathology. Children with high CU traits but no CD diagnosis require further investigation.
authors.affiliation: University of Sheffield, UK. r.rowe@sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maughan
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Tamsin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Briskman
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goodman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male