DIAGNOSTIC COMORBIDITY IN HOSPITALIZED ADOLESCENTS WITH CONDUCT DISORDER

We compared the diagnostic comorbidity of DSM-III-R axis I and axis II disorders in a sample of hospitalized adolescents with conduct disord er (CD) and a comparison group of hospitalized adolescents without con duct disorder (non-CD). Of 138 consecutively evaluated adolescents, 76 patients met criteria for CD and 62 did not, On axis I, CD was signif icantly comorbid with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorders (SUDs). None of the personality disorders assessed showed differential association with CD. The comorbid relatio nships found within this sample suggest a strong association between C D, ADHD, and SUD in hospitalized teenagers. This finding underscores t he clinical importance of conducting a thorough developmental assessme nt and, when indicated, of treating ADHD and SUD in conduct-disordered adolescents. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.