The impact of ADHD and conduct disorder in childhood on adult delinquency: A 30 years follow-up study using official crime records

Abstract

BackgroundFew longitudinal studies have explored lifetime criminality in adults with a childhood history of severe mental disorders. In the present study, we wanted to explore the association between adult delinquency and several different childhood diagnoses in an in-patient population. Of special interest was the impact of disturbance of activity and attention (ADHD) and mixed disorder of conduct and emotions on later delinquency, as these disorders have been variously associated with delinquent development.MethodsFormer Norwegian child psychiatric in-patients (n = 541) were followed up 19-41 years after hospitalization by record linkage to the National Register of Criminality. On the basis of the hospital records, the patients were re-diagnosed according to ICD-10. The association between diagnoses and other baseline factors and later delinquency were investigated using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.ResultsAt follow-up, 24% of the participants had been convicted of criminal activity.In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, conduct disorder (RR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.2-3.4) and hyperkinetic conduct disorder (RR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.6-4.4) significantly increased the risk of future criminal behaviour. Pervasive developmental disorder (RR = 0.4, 95%CI = 0.2-0.9) and mental retardation (RR = 0.4, 95%CI = 0.3-0.8) reduced the risk for a criminal act. Male gender (RR = 3.6, 95%CI = 2.1-6.1) and chronic family difficulties (RR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1-1.5) both predicted future criminality.ConclusionsConduct disorder in childhood was highly associated with later delinquency both alone or in combination with hyperactivity, but less associated when combined with an emotional disorder. ADHD in childhood was no more associated with later delinquency than the rest of the disorders in the study population. Our finding strengthens the assumption that there is no direct association between ADHD and criminality.

Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH): Prevalencia y Características Sociodemográficas en Población Reclusa

“…En Noruega, por ejemplo, se llevó a cabo un estudio longitudinal en niños con TDAH, observándose que el 27% de ellos fueron encarcelados de adultos. No obstante, se concluyó que los sujetos con TDAH en ausencia de Trastorno de Conducta en la infancia tienen el mismo riesgo que el resto de la población de cometer un delito en la edad adulta (Mordre, Groholt, Kjelsberg, Sandstad, & Myhre, 2011). Estos resultados muestran que la cuestión sobre la relación entre TDAH y criminalidad y sus causas no está resuelta y que es necesario profundizar en ello (RamosQuiroga et al, 2013).…”

The Relationship between Psychopathy Traits, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Forensic Populations: A Systematic PRISMA Review

“…In another study, ADHD was found to increase the risk of developing antisocial and substance use disorders in adolescence (even in the absence of comorbid childhood conduct disorder), which subsequently leads to greater risk of later engagement in criminal activity [84]. However, Mordre and colleagues [86] found that, compared to other disorders, childhood ADHD was not any more likely to be related to later delinquency [86]. Lastly, based on retrospective reports of conduct problems before the age of 15 and hyperactivity-impulsivity-attention (HIA) problems before the age of 10, one study compared psychopathic and non-psychopathic violent criminal offenders (n = 186).…”

“…Worthy of mention here, before discussing the primary studies of interest, are the ten studies which investigated the developmental pathway from childhood neurodevelopmental disorders to adult criminality [77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86]. We will briefly review some of the particularly interesting findings from these studies given that a proper review of these articles is outside the scope of this review.…”

Criminality among Former Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Patients and Matched Controls

“…The issue whether childhood diagnoses/syndromes or specific symptoms/problems are the best predictors of future criminality is studied among former Norwegian CAP in-patients [15]. The authors also looked into how many adverse contextual factors added to the predictions, separately and by interaction with psychiatric problems.…”

“…There are period as well as geographical effects reflecting differences in how the problem of youth criminality is viewed and handled. The sampling problem (how much of the ice-berg is included) must play a role: the 80 most problematic boys of Sweden [14], CAP inpatients [15], or Kindergarten children [16]. Is there a threshold of symptom intensity which has to be passed before symptoms like childhood impulsivity and hyperactivity start to matter for later criminality?…”