| Summary: | Abstract Conduct disorder (CD) among girls is a common but seldom studied psychiatric disorder. The aim of this study was to examine risk factors for CD, the factor structure of CD symptoms, suicidal behaviour, comorbid disorders and nicotine dependence of adolescent girls with CD in an inpatient sample in Northern Finland. The study subjects were 508 12- to 17-year-old inpatients treated in an acute psychiatric ward, Unit 70, at Oulu University Hospital between April 2001 and March 2006. These adolescents were interviewed using the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime (K-SADS-PL) to obtain psychiatric diagnoses according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). In addition, the European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI) was used to obtain information on somatic health, family situation and delinquency. From the data collected, 63 girls and 92 boys fulfilled the criteria for current DSM-IV-diagnosed conduct disorder. It was observed that, although the number of symptoms and severity of CD was lower among girls compared to boys, the level of functioning was lowered to the same degree. Physical abuse increased the risk for violent CD, and living apart from at least one biological parent increased the risk for both violent and non-violent CD among girls. The results of this study also suggest a gender difference in the factor structure and developmental model of CD. Alcohol dependence increased the risk for suicide attempt and self-mutilation almost fourfold among girls with CD. Girls with CD had more comorbid affective and anxiety disorders than boys. Girls with CD also had more self-reported allergies. Finally, the number of CD symptoms was positively correlated with the level of nicotine dependence (ND) among both girls and boys, and a gender difference was found in the correlation between symptom subscales and the level of ND. The findings suggest that gender differences exist in conduct disorder. ...
|
|---|