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Classes of adolescents with disruptive behaviors in a general population sample

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Abstract

Background

To study disruptive behaviors adequately, we need to distinguish between individuals with different types of problems that may have a different etiology. The availability of a taxonomic system that helps in identifying homogeneous groups of individuals, with similar patterns of disruptive behaviors, is crucial to achieve this goal. Therefore, we examine which classes of preadolescents with symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD) can be identified in the general population.

Methods

Disruptive behaviors of 2,230 10–12 year olds from the Dutch general population were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist and Youth Self-Report.

Results

Latent class analysis revealed three classes of preadolescents: the first characterized by high scores on ADHD, ODD, and CD items; a second by high probabilities of ADHD and ODD symptoms; a third with low scores on all items.

Conclusions

Because classes of preadolescents with symptoms of only one type of disruptive behavior problems could not be identified, it can be questioned how useful separate diagnostic distinctions are in general population studies.

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Acknowledgements

This research is part of the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Participating centers of TRAILS include various Departments of the University of Groningen, the Erasmus Medical Centre of Rotterdam, the University of Nijmegen, University of Leiden, and the Trimbos Institute, The Netherlands. TRAILS is financially supported by grants from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (GB-MW 940-38-011, GB-MAGW 480-01-006, GB-MAGW 457-03-018, GB-MAGW 175.010.2003.005, ZonMw 100-001-001 “Geestkracht” Program, ZonMw 60-60600-98-018), the Sophia Foundation for Medical Research (project 301 and 393), the Ministry of Justice, and by the participating centers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam/Sophia Children's Hospital, Dr. Molewaterplein 60, 3015 GJ, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Frouke E. P. L. Sondeijker MS, Robert F. Ferdinand MD, PhD, Albertine J. Oldehinkel PhD & Frank C. Verhulst MD, PhD

  2. Dept. of Psychiatry and Graduate School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Albertine J. Oldehinkel PhD, Andea F. De Winter PhD & Johan Ormel PhD

  3. Graduate School for Experimental Psychopathology, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Albertine J. Oldehinkel PhD & Johan Ormel PhD

  4. Dept. of Sociology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    René Veenstra PhD

  5. Interuniversity Centre for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS), Groningen, The Netherlands

    René Veenstra PhD

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  1. Frouke E. P. L. Sondeijker MS
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  2. Robert F. Ferdinand MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Robert F. Ferdinand MD, PhD.

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Sondeijker, F.E.P.L., Ferdinand, R.F., Oldehinkel, A.J. et al. Classes of adolescents with disruptive behaviors in a general population sample. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 40, 931–938 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-005-0970-6

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