A longitudinal study of adolescent and adult conviction rates among children referred to psychiatric services for behavioural or emotional problems

Abstract

Background

Childhood Psychiatric Disorders and Young Adult Crime: A Prospective, Population-Based Study

“…In all analyses, measures of childhood psychiatric status (cumulative prevalence rate prior to age 16) preceded those of young adult criminal status (ages [16][17][18][19][20][21]. Prospective associations between childhood psychiatric disorder status and young adult criminality were analyzed first.…”

“…No between-groups differences in ethnicity were observed between whites and American Indians (minor offenses: odds ratio=0.8, 95% CI= 0.5-1.1; moderate offenses: odds ratio=0.7, 95% CI=0.4-1.1; severe/violent offenses: odds ratio=0.8, 95% CI=0.4-1.3). Figure 1 compares the prevalences of overall childhood diagnoses among those with no arrests, those with arrests in young adulthood (ages [16][17][18][19][20][21] only, and those with arrests as juveniles (through age 15) and in young adulthood. Cumulative rates of DSM-IV disorders for children (through age 16) with no young adult offenses were 33.6% (SE=3.7) for boys and 26.3% (SE=3.0) for girls, compared with rates of 51.4% (SE=4.6) for male offenders and 43.6% (SE=6.9) for female offenders (male offenders: odds ratio= 2.2, 95% CI=1.1-4.1; female offenders: odds ratio=2.1, 95% CI=1.3-3.4).…”

“…Conduct disorder and criminality overlap such that relations between conduct problems and later criminality may be attenuated when controlling for juvenile offending (21). Hyperactivity appears to predict criminal behavior independent of conduct problems (21) but may best predict criminality when comorbid with conduct problems (22). Despite the strong correlation between substance use and delinquency, substance use appears to predict criminal behavior only in children with early-onset and persistent substance use (18,23,24).…”

“…Prospective studies point to hyperactivity (9)(10)(11), conduct problems (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17), and early substance use (18)(19)(20) as predictors of later delinquency and criminal behavior. Conduct disorder and criminality overlap such that relations between conduct problems and later criminality may be attenuated when controlling for juvenile offending (21). Hyperactivity appears to predict criminal behavior independent of conduct problems (21) but may best predict criminality when comorbid with conduct problems (22).…”

“…In this study, we used data from a population-based, longitudinal sample followed from childhood to early adulthood (ages [16][17][18][19][20][21] to examine the relationships be- ajp.psychiatryonline.org tween a range of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders and young adult criminal offenses. Full psychiatric assessments were conducted in multiple waves using a well-validated structured interview that assesses all common childhood DSM-IV disorders.…”