Conduct Disorder In Adolescents Research Articles

Evaluation of the Relationship between Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor Levels and the Stroop Interference Effect in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In addition, impairment in executive functions has been reported in children with ADHD. This study investigated the presence of a relationship between Stroop test scores and BDNF levels in children with ADHD. The study was conducted in the Department of Child Psychiatry at Dicle University. The study included 49 children between 6 and 15 years of age (M/F: 42/7), who were diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-IV, and who did not receive previous therapy. Similar in terms of age and gender to the ADHD group, 40 children were selected in the control group. The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime version was administered to all participants. Parents and teachers were administered Turgay DSM-IV-based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale to measure symptom severity in children with ADHD. Children with ADHD underwent the Stroop test. BDNF levels were evaluated in serum by ELISA. The ADHD and control groups did not differ in terms of BDNF levels. BDNF levels did not differ between ADHD subtypes. There was also no relationship between the Stroop test interference scores and BDNF levels. The findings of the present study are in line with those in studies that demonstrated no significant role of BDNF in the pathogenesis of ADHD.

Bonnes pratiques pour la prescription de thymorégulateurs à l’adolescence : une revue de la littérature

Resume L’adolescence est un moment singulier du processus de maturation de l’individu ; les medicaments psychotropes peuvent avoir chez l’adolescent des profils d’efficacite et de tolerance differents de ceux notes a d’autres âges de la vie. Limitant notre propos a une seule classe pharmacologique, nous nous posons dans ce travail la question suivante : dans quelles indications et selon quelles modalites les thymoregulateurs devraient-ils etre prescrits aux adolescents ? Revue de la litterature Le lithium dispose de la plus ancienne autorisation de mise sur le marche (AMM) en France et aux Etats-Unis dans le cadre du trouble bipolaire a l’adolescence ; il presenterait egalement, hors AMM, un interet dans les troubles du comportement. Le lithium necessite une surveillance biologique reguliere et exige une bonne observance. Aucun anticonvulsivant ne possede l’AMM dans le cadre du trouble bipolaire a l’adolescence ; pourtant l’American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) recommande le divalproate de sodium comme un des traitements de premiere intention de la manie. Enfin, les antipsychotiques de deuxieme generation (ADG) ont obtenu une AMM pour le trouble bipolaire : en France, uniquement l’aripiprazole, mais aux Etats-Unis egalement la risperidone, l’olanzapine et la quetiapine. De plus, les ADG figurent dans les recommandations consacrees aux troubles du comportement de l’adolescent et publiees par l’AACAP et le National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Leurs effets secondaires sont metaboliques, moteurs et cognitifs. Discussion Les donnees epidemiologiques de prescription de psychotropes se trouvent partiellement en concordance avec les recommandations precitees. D’une part, il existe effectivement une tendance pour un usage preferentiel des ADG, mais d’autre part, le lithium n’est quasiment pas prescrit chez l’adolescent, plus rarement que les anticonvulsivants (a visee thymoregulatrice). Ainsi, malgre l’absence d’AMM, ces dernieres molecules sont parfois preferees au lithium – en raison de sa dangerosite en cas d’inobservance ou d’intoxication volontaire –, ou aux ADG – en raison de leur profil de tolerance. En tout cas, quel que soit le medicament prescrit, une question cruciale est celle de l’observance et de l’alliance therapeutique, avec l’adolescent mais aussi avec ses parents.

The Effectiveness of Functional Family Therapy for Adolescent Behavioral and Substance Misuse Problems: A Meta-Analysis.

A systematic review of published and unpublished English language articles identified 14 studies containing 18 comparisons between functional family therapy (FFT) and another condition in the treatment of adolescent disruptive behavior and substance use disorders. In 11 of these comparisons, assignment to conditions was random, while nonrandom assignment occurred in seven studies. For both random and nonrandom comparisons, separate meta-analyses were conducted for subgroups of studies depending on the type of comparison group used. Data from studies of untreated control groups (CTL), treatment as usual (TAU), and well-defined alternative treatments (ALTs) were analyzed separately. Effect sizes from these six meta-analyses were as follows: random assignment FFT versus CTL (k=3, d=0.48, p<.01); random assignment FFT versus TAU (k=3, d=.20, ns); random assignment FFT versus ALT (k=5, d=.35, p<.05); nonrandom assignment FFT versus CTL (k=2, d=.90, ns); nonrandom assignment FFT versus TAU (k=2, d=.08, ns); and nonrandom assignment FFT versus ALT (k=3, d=.75, p<.001). These results provide support for the effectiveness of FFT compared with untreated controls and well-defined ALTs, such as cognitive behavior therapy, other models of family therapy, and individual and group therapy for adolescents.

An Intensive Parent-Training Intervention Model for Behavior Disorders in Children and Adolescents

An Intensive Parent-Training Intervention Model for Behavior Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Sex-specific effects of early life stress on social interaction and prefrontal cortex dendritic morphology in young rats

Early life stress has been linked to depression, anxiety, and behavior disorders in adolescence and adulthood. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is implicated in stress-related psychopathology, is a target for stress hormones, and mediates social behavior. The present study investigated sex differences in early-life stress effects on juvenile social interaction and adolescent mPFC dendritic morphology in rats using a maternal separation (MS) paradigm. Half of the rat pups of each sex were separated from their mother for 4h a day between postnatal days 2 and 21, while the other half remained with their mother in the animal facilities and were exposed to minimal handling. At postnatal day 25 (P25; juvenility), rats underwent a social interaction test with an age and sex matched conspecific. Distance from conspecific, approach and avoidance behaviors, nose-to-nose contacts, and general locomotion were measured. Rats were euthanized at postnatal day 40 (P40; adolescence), and randomly selected infralimbic pyramidal neurons were filled with Lucifer yellow using iontophoretic microinjections, imaged in 3D, and then analyzed for dendritic arborization, spine density, and spine morphology. Early-life stress increased the latency to make nose-to-nose contact at P25 in females but not males. At P40, early-life stress increased infralimbic apical dendritic branch number and length and decreased thin spine density in stressed female rats. These results indicate that MS during the postnatal period influenced juvenile social behavior and mPFC dendritic arborization in a sex-specific manner.

Factors related to diagnostic persistence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Turkish children and adolescents

Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently occurring mental disorders in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine diagnostic persistence three years after the first clinical evaluation and to investigate the factors relating to diagnostic persistence in children and adolescents with ADHD. Methods: The study included 183 children and adolescents who were evaluated in the first admission. Of 183 children and adolescents, 142 children and adolescents were evaluated in the second admission and only the data of 142 children and adolescents were analysed in the study. Diagnostic persistence was defined as having met the full criteria for ADHD on second evaluation. Symptom severity of ADHD was determined using the Turgay DSM-IV-based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale-Parents Form (T-DSM-IV-S). Intelligence level was assessed through the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. Results: Of the children included in the study, 77.5% (n = 110) were determined to have ADHD diagnostic persistence. Low intelligence levels, younger age and higher T-DSM-IV-S inattention and conduct disorder scores were associated with diagnostic persistence. ADHD diagnosis in children and adolescents tends to continue at high rates. Conclusions: Determination of the risks related to ADHD diagnostic persistence may contribute to improved treatment planning and interventions.

Role of overlapping genetic and environmental factors in the relationship between early adolescent conduct problems and substance use in young adulthood.

To determine (1) the prospective associations of conduct problems during early adolescence with tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use in young adulthood and (2) to what extent these associations are due to overlapping genetic versus environmental influences. A prospective twin study using biometric twin modelling. Finland. A total of 1847 Finnish twins (943 males and 904 females) were interviewed in early adolescence, 73% of whom (n=1353, 640 males and 713 females) were retained in young adulthood. Symptom counts of conduct disorder (CD) criteria were obtained from a semi-structured clinical interview in early adolescence [age 14-15 years, mean=14.2, standard deviation (SD)=0.15]. Frequency of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use was obtained from a semi-structured clinical interview in young adulthood (age 19.9-26.6 years, mean=22.4, SD=0.7). We found modest to moderate phenotypical correlations (r=0.16-0.35) between early adolescent CD symptoms and substance use in young adulthood. In males, the phenotypical correlations of CD symptoms with all three substance use variables are explained largely by overlapping genetic influences. In females, overlapping shared environmental influences predominantly explain the phenotypical correlation between CD symptoms and tobacco and cannabis use. Conduct disorder symptoms in early adolescence appear to moderately predict substance use in early adulthood. In males, genetic influences seem to be most important in explaining the relationship between conduct disorder symptoms and substance use whereas in females, shared environmental influences seem to be most important.

Keep your eye on…

How teen ambivalence is related to response to motivational interviewing How maternal anxiety before birth can affect offspring the link between callous unemotional traits in childhood and behavior disorders in adolescence

Characterization of eating behavior disorders in school-aged children and adolescents: a population-based study.

Cross-sectional study to assess the characteristics of the risk behaviors for eating disorders (EDs) in school children between 10 and 14 years of age in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. 1405 school-aged children were assessed, using the Eating Behaviours and Body Image Test (EBBIT) to screen for EDs. The normality of the continuing variables was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test with Lilliefors correction. They were described as medians and interquartile intervals (25 and 75th percentiles). The criteria that represented a condition of anorexia and/or bulimia nervosa were considered as strong indicators of risk for EDs in school-aged children who indicated the following behaviors with scores superior to the 75th percentile on the scales: "compulsive eating" 3.0% (CI95% 2.2-4.0); "dissatisfaction with body image/restrictive eating" 1.3% (CI95% 0.8-2.0); children scoring superior to the 30th percentile, "compulsive eating" + "dissatisfaction with body image/restrictive eating", 0.6% (CI95% 0.3-1.2); and superior to the 50th percentile; "compensatory behavior for hyperphagia" 6.7% (CI95% 5.4-8.1). In addition, greater vulnerability of the female gender was perceived, as well as an increase in the preliminary risk factors of EDs, such as advanced age, dissatisfaction with the body image linked to restrictive behaviors and the compulsive establishment of an eating pattern. This study shows the dimension of the problem in this ecological context and the urgent need for intervention programs, developed among different sectors, from the perspective of the adolescents' empowerment to prevent and minimize the vulnerability factors of the eating disorders.

The clinical usefulness of the new LPE specifier for subtyping adolescents with conduct disorder in the DSM 5.

In DSM 5, conduct disorder (CD) has been expanded with a new specifier 'with Limited Prosocial Emotions' (LPE) in addition to the age-of-onset (AoO) subtyping, and is thought to identify a severe antisocial subgroup of CD. However, research in clinical practice has been scarce. Therefore, the current study will examine differences in clinical symptoms between subtypes of CD, based on both subtyping schemes. Subsequently, it will investigate whether the LPE specifier explains unique variance in aggression, added to the AoO subtyping. A sample of 145 adolescents with CD (51% male, mean age 15.0) from a closed treatment institution participated in this study. CD diagnoses and AoO subtype were assessed using a structured diagnostic interview. The LPE specifier was assessed using the callous-unemotional dimension of the Youth Psychopathy Traits Inventory (YPI). Self-reported proactive and reactive aggression, rule-breaking behavior and internalizing problems within the subtypes were compared. Youth with childhood-onset CD and LPE showed significantly more aggression than adolescent-onset CD without LPE (proactive aggression: F=3.1, p<0.05, reactive aggression: F=3.7, p<0.05). Hierarchical regression revealed that the LPE specifier uniquely explained 7% of the variance in reactive aggression, additionally to the AoO subtyping. For proactive aggression, the interaction between AoO and the LPE added 4.5% to the explained variance. Although the LPE specifier may help to identify a more aggressive subtype of CD in adolescents, the incremental utility seems to be limited. Therefore, clinical relevance of the LPE specifier in high-risk adolescent samples still needs to be investigated thoroughly.

Behavior, Social Competence, and Voice Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence

This study aimed to verify the relationships among voice change complaints, indicators of competence, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. This is a prospective study. A sample of 103 parents/guardians completed the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 6-18 years. The mean age and gender were very similar between the participants with and without voice complaints. Regarding the competences, no differences were found between the participants with and without voice complaints. The group with voice complaints presented higher total scores and T-scores in the both anxiety/depression and somatic complaints domains and in the internalising, externalizing, and total scales. The total scores and T-scores on the internalising, externalizing, and total scales, as well as those of their domains (anxiety/depression, somatic complaints, social problems, thought problems, attention problems, rule-breaking behavior, and aggressive behavior), differed between children and adolescents with and without voice complaints. Children and adolescents with complaints of voice disorder demonstrate a potential risk of developing emotional/behavioral problems.

Investigation of the Relation Between Intraarticular Bleedings and Symptom Severity of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents with Haemophilia

Aim: Intra-articular bleedings in haemophilia patients and movement restrictions and joint deformities that occur as a result of these bleedings constitute an important health problem and deteriorate the quality of life for children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation between intra-articular bleedings and symptom severity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and disruptive behavior disorders in children and adolescents with haemophilia. Method: 24 boys with haemophilia were included in the study. During the interviews with children and their mothers, their sociodemographic features and frequency of intra-articular bleedings were examined. Following the interviews, mothers were asked to fill out the Disruptive Behavior Disorder Screening and Rating Scale based on Turgay Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition, Text Revision. SPSS for Windows 16.0 software program was used for the statistical analysis of the study. Results: As a result of the correlation analysis, no relation was determined between the symptom severity of attention deficit and frequency of intra-articular bleeding (p>0.05). A statistically significant positive relation was determined between the frequency of bleedings within the knee and ankle joints and symptom severities of hyperactivity, impulsivity, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder (p 0.05). Conclusion: The results of our study have made us think that the frequency of bleeding especially within the knee and ankle joints is related with the symptom severity of hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder, and children having frequent bleedings within these joints should be evaluated from this aspect along with prophylactic treatment. Key Words: Hemophilia; Attention Deficit And Hyperactivity Disorder; Intraarticular Bleeding.

Impact of adenotonsillectomy on ADHD and nocturnal enuresis in children with chronic adenotonsillar hypertrophy

ObjectiveChildren with chronic adenotonsillar hypertrophy (CAH) are more likely to have symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and enuresis nocturna (EN) and benefit from surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adenotonsillectomy on ADHD and EN symptoms in children with CAH. Study designCross-sectional study was conducted. SettingParent-based questionnaires. MethodsParents of children with CAH were given Turgay DSM-IV Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (T-DSM-IV) and Nocturnal Enuresis Questionnaire (NEQ) before and six months after adenotonsillectomy. Inattention (IA) and hyperactivity–impulsivity (HI) subscores of T-DSM-IV were used in the present study. The rates of ADHD and EN were compared before and after surgery. ResultsA total of 75 children between 5 and 16years of age and their families participated in the study. All 75 families completed T-DSM-IV and NEQ. Mean IA (5.69±4.88 versus 4.46±4.40) and HI (6.53±5.60 versus 5.93±5.45) scores as well as total ADHD scores (12.22±8.99 versus 10.42±8.70) improved significantly after surgery. This significance was found to be statistically important (p<0.05). Furthermore 26 of the subjects were diagnosed with primer EN before adenotonsillectomy and 14 of these enuretic children had total remission six months after surgery. The frequency of EN dropped from 34.7% to 16.0% and this remission rate was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). ConclusionChildren with CAH had high frequency of ADHD and EN symptoms in the present study. Adenotonsillectomy was found to be effective in improvement of these symptoms.

Disruptive behavior disorders and indicators of disinhibition in adolescents: The BRIEF-SR, anti-saccade task, and D-KEFS color–word interference test

Disinhibition contributes to the development of disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) in adolescents. Self-reports and behavioral tasks are commonly used to assess disinhibition, each with their unique strengths and limitations. Accordingly, it is important to identify which measure, or combination thereof, is the most effective in predicting DBD symptoms. This study assessed the relationship between DBD (symptoms of ADHD/ODD/CD) and two behavioral disinhibition tasks: the anti-saccade task and the D-KEFS color–word interference test, as well as a self-report measure (the BRIEF-SR). The results indicated that the BRIEF-Inhibit scale accounted for the majority of the variance in the DBD sum score. The anti-saccade task and color–word interference test were also significantly associated with an increase in the number of DBD symptoms endorsed. These behavioral tasks accounted for 9% additional variance than the self-report alone. Therefore, combining self-report measures with behavioral disinhibition tasks may provide the most thorough assessment of adolescent DBD.

Combined methylphenidate and atomoxetine pharmacotherapy in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Objectıves. Pharmacological treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) includes stimulant and non-stimulant medications. Our purpose in this study is to investigate efficacy, safety and tolerability of combined methylphenidate and atomoxetine pharmacotherapy. Methods. We included 12 patients of the 824 patients with ADHD using methylphenidate and atomoxetine combined therapy between the years 2010 and 2014. Kiddie-SADS, Turgay DSM-IV Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale, Child Behavior Checklist, Clinic Global Impression Scale Severity and Impression (CGIS-S-I) scales were used. Results. Patients were between the ages of 7 and 17 years. Before combined pharmacotherapy the CGIS-S score mean was 5.08. Mean CGIS-S score after the combined pharmacotherapy was 3.08 (P = 0.03; –2,980). The most common side effects were irritability (n = 5, 41.6%), appetite reduction (n = 3, 25%), palpitations (n = 2, 16.7%), headache (n = 1, 8.3%). Conclusıons. Nine of these 12 patients showed significant improvement in their symptoms, combined therapy enhanced the effectiveness of monotherapy.

Iron Deficiency Parameters in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

The aim of this study is to compare iron deficiency parameters in patients with stimulant-naive attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and healthy controls, to investigate whether there are differences among the ADHD presentations, and to evaluate the relationship between ADHD symptom severity and serum ferritin levels. In addition, ADHD-Predominantly Inattentive (ADHD-PI) patients with restrictive hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms were evaluated as a separate group with "restrictive inattention presentation" (ADHD-Rest) and were compared with other groups. Patients with ADHD-Rest are typically defined as having six or more symptoms of inattention and fewer than three symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity. A total of 200 ADHD cases consisting of 100 ADHD-Combine (ADHD-C) and 100 ADHD-PI and a total of 100 healthy control cases were included in the study. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version was performed in a semi-structured interview during the diagnosis. The Turgay DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale, the Conners' Rating Scale-Revised: Long Form (Parent-Teacher) (CPRSR:L, CTRS-R:L) were used for clinical evaluation. Hemogram, serum iron, iron binding capacity and serum ferritin levels were assessed. There were no significant differences between the ADHD patients and the healthy control cases in terms of iron deficiency parameters. Further, there were no significant differences among the ADHD presentations in terms of the same parameters, nor were there any significant differences when the groups were examined after the identification of the ADHD-Rest. The CPRS-R:L Hyperactivity and the CTRS-R:L Hyperactivity scores were negatively correlated with serum ferritin level in the ADHD group. To our knowledge, our current study is the first to compare serum ferritin levels in ADHD-Rest with other presentations of ADHD, and included the largest number of patients that were classified by ADHD presentations. Elucidation of these findings is important for both the etiology and treatment of ADHD.

Anxiety Disorders Comorbidity in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Our aim is to investigate the prevalence of comorbidity of anxiety disorders (AD) among patients newly diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to compare symptom severity of ADHD and sociodemographic parameters between patients with and without AD. Among 1683 children and adolescents admitted to Kocaeli University Medical Faculty, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Outpatient Clinic, 447 children and adolescents, who were preliminarily diagnosed as ADHD by clinical interview based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV), were invited to participate in the second phase of the study. Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime-Turkish Version were applied to children and adolescents with ADHD and one of their parents to support the diagnoses of both ADHD and AD. Mothers, fathers, and teachers of the children were asked to complete DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale. Our study group comprised 170 children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD of whom 19.4% were girls and 80.6% were boys; 27.6% of patients diagnosed with ADHD showed AD comorbidity. Age of the parents at birth of the patients with AD was significantly lower than that of patients without AD. In line with the previous studies, the comorbidity rate of AD was found to be higher among patients with ADHD than general population and clinical sample without ADHD. The possibility of comorbidity of AD in patients with ADHD should be considered because higher rates of AD are observed in ADHD and comorbidities of AD.

Disruptive Behavior Disorders in Adolescents With ASD: Comparisons to Youth With Intellectual Disability or Typical Cognitive Development

Dual diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and behavior problems and/or mental disorders has become increasingly recognized and studied. Reported rates in samples of mixed-age youth with ASD are often above 70%, making this comorbidity more the rule than the exception. The present study compared rates of disruptive behavior disorder diagnosis in a sample of 13-year-old adolescents with ASD (n = 58), intellectual disability (ID; n = 40), or typical cognitive development (TD; n = 100). In youth without ASD, there was a high negative correlation between IQ and disruptive behavior disorders, assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC). In youth with ASD, however, the presence of a comorbid disruptive behavior disorder was unrelated to IQ, indicating that higher intelligence was not a protective factor for disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) in ASD. On four CBCL scales and two DISC scales examined, youth with ASD had significantly higher rates than TD youth, though not generally higher than youth with ID. The most commonly diagnosed comorbid disorder in the early adolescents with ASD was attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This has implications for planning school-based interventions, particularly for high-functioning children with ASD who are more likely to be fully included in general education.

The Role of Parental Temperament Traits in Disruptive Behavioral Disorders of Children with ADHD

Introduction No study up to now investigated the role of parental temperament traits in disruptive behavioral disorders (DBD) of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Objectives To determine the relationships between parent temperament characteristics and child DBD symptoms in children with ADHD. Methods The sample consisted of 542 treatment naive children with ADHD aged 6-17 years. All children had to be living with both biological mothers and fathers. The severity of ADHD and comorbid DBD were assessed via parent and teacher rated Turgay DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavioral Disorders Screening and Rating Scale. Temperamental dimensions of mothers and fathers were measured by TEMPS-A. The association between parental ADHD and DBD was evaluated with two separate structural equation models. Results Relationships of parent ADHD and DBD symptoms were presented in Figures 1 and 2. Discussion This study showed a significant relationship between maternal depressive and paternal cyclothymic affective temperament and conduct disorder, and between maternal anxious and irritable, and paternal cyclothymic affective temperament and oppositional defiant disorder in children with ADHD. This study highlights that children with more severe behavioural symptoms are more likely to have a parent with certain temperament traits. Download : Download full-size image Download : Download full-size image

Association of Anxiety, Anxiety Sensitivity and Depressive Symptoms with Aggression and Disruptive Behavioral Disorders in Children with ADHD

Numerous factors including anxiety, anxiety sensitivity (AS), and depression were reported to be relevant to the aggression both for disruptive behavioral disorders (DBD) in children and for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the pathways through which they act are insufficiently understood. To investigate the role of anxiety, AS, and depression in the relationship between aggression and DBD symptoms in ADHD children. The sample consisted of 342 treatment naïve children with ADHD aged 9-17 years. ADHD severity and comorbid<a name="_GoBack"></a> DBD were assessed via parent and teacher rated Turgay DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Behavioral Disorders Screening and Rating Scale. Severity of anxiety, AS, depression, and reactive and proactive agression of children were evaluated by self-report inventories. The association between DBD and other psychiatric variables was evaluated with two separate structural equation models. Relationships of psychiatric variables and DBD symptoms were presented in Figures 1 and 2. Discussion: These results may suggest the presence of a vicious circle between anxiety, reactive aggression and DBD in ADHD children. However, global AS seems to have a protective effect on the development of DBD, probably due to its role in aversive conditioning. Figure Structural model for the perdictores of parent-rated disruptice behavioural disorders symptoms in children with ADHD