How do childhood conduct problems, callousness and anxiety relate to later offending and adult mental disorder?

Abstract

Background Various combinations of childhood conduct problems, callous traits and anxiety may confer increased risk of offending, psychopathic traits and mental disorders. Knowledge of these outcomes in adulthood is limited. Aims To compare adult criminal convictions, psychopathy checklist scores and mental disorders between five groups of men, variously defined in childhood by: (1) callous traits, (2) conduct problems, (3) conduct problems and callous traits, (4) conduct problems and callous traits and anxiety or (5) developing typically. Method Teachers rated conduct problems, callous traits and anxiety at ages 6, 10 and 12 years. Criminal convictions from age 12 to 24 were extracted from official records. The Psychopathy Checklist‐Revised (PCL‐R) and diagnostic interviews were completed at age 33. Results Relative to the typically developing group, the groups with conduct problems, with and without callous traits and anxiety, showed 5‐fold elevations in risks of violent convictions and 3 to 4‐fold elevations in risk for antisocial personality disorder, while the groups with conduct problems only and with conduct problems plus callous traits plus anxiety were at increased risk for borderline personality disorder. All risk groups obtained higher PCL‐R total scores than the typically developing childhood group. Conclusions and implications It is widely accepted that childhood conduct problems in boys are associated with increased risks of criminal convictions and poorer mental health, but our findings suggest that teachers can identify different subgroups and these have different trajectories. As some subgroups were small, replication is recommended, but our findings offer preliminary support for trialling specific interventions for at risk boys.

Callous-unemotional traits and anxiety in adolescents: a latent profile analysis to identify different types of antisocial behavior in a high-risk community sample

“…This combined elevated risk of both overt and covert forms in both groups is suggestive of further risk for criminal offenses, as combined overt and covert antisocial behavior is associated with high stable antisocial behavior at age 18 [ 56 ]. Although the primary CU group is often considered at prime risk for future offenses [ 5 , 57 ], there is increasing evidence from longitudinal studies that antisocial behavior with comorbid anxiety symptoms confers equal risk of future mental health problems and offenses [ 58 , 59 ]. Furthermore, extending previous reports [ 59 , 60 ], the intermediate CU-high anxious group might experience more peer rejection, as witnessed by bullying victimization, and reactive aggression, while the primary CU group might be more prone to popularity striving and proactive aggression.…”

“…Though speculative, adolescents in the community with a combination of anxious symptoms, antisocial behavior and psychotic experiences could be at increased risk for future offenses or forensically relevant psychopathology. A study in convicted adults shows that a subgroup with childhood antisocial behavior and increased CU traits and anxiety are at higher odds of a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, which can be marked by transient paranoid ideation [ 58 ].…”

Lifelong mental health service use among 15–22 years old offenders: a document-based, mixed-methods descriptive study

“…Also, childhood conduct disorders and neuropsychiatric disorders have been shown to associate with serious crimes later in life, as well as during adolescence anxiety, hostility and borderline, paranoid and psychotic features. [10][11][12][13][14][15] As for diagnostic evaluations, the most common disorders among young offenders with serious crimes are conduct and personality disorders, 1 13 16-18 followed by affective and anxiety disorders as well as substance use disorders. 13 16-20 Despite the clear association between early criminality and mental health problems, our knowledge about the use of mental health services of young offenders during their childhood and adolescence is scarce.…”

“…Williams and colleagues9 have reported traumatic brain injury to be a risk factor for early and violent crime. Also, childhood conduct disorders and neuropsychiatric disorders have been shown to associate with serious crimes later in life, as well as during adolescence anxiety, hostility and borderline, paranoid and psychotic features 10–15. As for diagnostic evaluations, the most common disorders among young offenders with serious crimes are conduct and personality disorders,1 13 16–18 followed by affective and anxiety disorders as well as substance use disorders 13 16–20…”