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Life course persistent and adolescence limited conduct disorder in a nationally representative US sample: prevalence, predictors, and outcomes

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Abstract

Purpose

The course of conduct disorder (CD) is heterogeneous. Moffitt proposed the heuristic of life course persistent (LCP) and adolescence limited (AL) to differentiate etiologically distinct forms of antisocial behavior (AB), each with distinct predictors and consequences, although a few studies have assessed this demarcation within the context of CD. The objective of this study was to apply Moffitt’s taxonomy in a nationally representative US sample to investigate the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of LCP and AL CD.

Methods

Data come from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies, a set of population-based nationally representative cross-sectional surveys (N = 20,130). Predictors included harsh discipline, maternal and paternal closeness, poverty in childhood, history of learning disability, parental deviance, and nativity. Outcomes included substance use, employment status, education attainment, marital status, income level, and self-rated mental and physical health.

Results

The prevalence of LCP and AL CD was 0.5 and 4.6%, respectively, for females, and 1.9 and 5.1%, respectively, for males. Low childhood SES [Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.49], lack of maternal closeness (OR = 2.50), and history of harsh discipline (OR = 2.17) increased odds of LCP group membership. The LCP group had higher odds of developing substance use disorders (OR = 2.00) relative to AL.

Conclusions

LCP CD is more strongly influenced by childhood environment and confers increased odds for substance use problems in adulthood relative to AL CD.

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Acknowledgements

AAM, RRN, and BM are supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH020030, MH101518, and MH093642, respectively). JLS is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (TR000058). The National Comorbidity Survey Replication is sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH60220), the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (044708), and the John W. Alden Trust. The National Survey of American Life is sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH57716). The National Latino and Asian American Survey is sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH62209), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services, and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. The sponsors had no role in the design, interpretation, analysis, or presentation of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Ashlee A. Moore

  2. Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Ashlee A. Moore, Judy L. Silberg, Roxann Roberson-Nay & Briana Mezuk

  3. Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Judy L. Silberg

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Judy L. Silberg & Roxann Roberson-Nay

  5. Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, Division of Epidemiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Briana Mezuk

  6. Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Briana Mezuk

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  1. Ashlee A. Moore
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  2. Judy L. Silberg
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Correspondence to Ashlee A. Moore.

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Moore, A.A., Silberg, J.L., Roberson-Nay, R. et al. Life course persistent and adolescence limited conduct disorder in a nationally representative US sample: prevalence, predictors, and outcomes. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 52, 435–443 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1337-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1337-5

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