Does controlling for comorbidity matter? DSM‐oriented scales and violent offending in chicago youth

Abstract

Mental health problems have long been linked to antisocial behaviors. Despite an impressive body of literature demonstrating this relationship and claims that comorbidity matters, few studies examine comorbidity using multiple distinct mental health indicators, with most studies instead adopting single or composite mental health measures. This study tested separate and comorbid effects of five DSM-oriented mental health issues on self-reported violence using a community-based sample of Chicago youths from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. Moreover, it utilized both primary caregiver and youth self-reports of psychopathology across four developmental stages of childhood and adolescence. When examined separately, the results indicated affective/depressive, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity, and oppositional defiant/antisocial personality problems independently predicted violence. When considering comorbidity, however, only oppositional defiant and antisocial personality problems significantly predicted violence at any stage, regardless of informant type. Implications for future studies and policy are discussed.

Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Violence in the Population of England: Does Comorbidity Matter?

“…Our findings are consistent with reports that the relationship between hyperactivity and serious violence (measured by criminal convictions) is mediated by ASPD [20] and other coexisting psychopathology [19]. We have previously demonstrated that ASPD and substance dependence are independently associated with more severe and repetitive forms of violence at the population level, violence involving multiple victim types, and in different locations [37].…”

“…Correspondingly, studies which adjust for childhood conduct disorder (CD), a common precursor of ASPD [18,19], or exclude participants with co-occurring CD [20], demonstrate that associations with violence are almost entirely explained by coexisting ASPD. Recent studies conducted in prison, however, provide evidence of associations between hyperactivity and violent breaches of custody [21], as well as violent critical incidents [22] above and beyond CD/ASPD.…”

“…Because violence is increasingly recognized as a major public health problem [23] requiring intervention from healthcare professionals, and the potential impact on violence from neurodevelopmental psychopathology has not been systematically studied at the population level [19], we investigated associations between ADHD and violence in the adult household population of England in a representative survey carried out in 2007 [24]. Our aims were to determine the extent to which ADHD contributes to the public health problem of violence and implications for further targeted interventions on ADHD to reduce violence.…”

Testing Specificity: Associations of Stress and Coping with Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Youth

“…The high correlation between the Anxiety and Affective Problems scales in this study is similar to other studies (e.g., Achenbach et al 2005; Boots and Wareham 2010). Further, specificity analyses found that while some correlates of symptoms of anxiety and depression are transdiagnostic, others demonstrate specificity to symptoms of anxiety or depression.…”

“…Further, dimensional approaches support the frequent co-occurrence of symptoms of anxiety and depression during adolescence and across the lifespan (e.g., Krueger et al 2003; Seeley et al 2011). Considerable evidence also supports the occurrence of these symptoms independently in youths, indicating that anxiety and depression are distinct yet related sets of symptoms or disorders (e.g., Achenbach et al 2003; Boots and Wareham 2010; van Lang et al 2005). …”