| Prevalence |
Studies find a wide range of prevalence rates in the general population (2–10%), depending on how the study was conducted and the exact composition of the population studied. Approximately 10% of Americans will be diagnosed with conduct disorder during their lives (Nock et al., 2006). |
| Onset |
According to DSM-5, when symptoms arise before age 10, the diagnosis is childhood-onset type; when there are no symptoms before age 10, it is adolescent-onset type. |
| Comorbidity |
With the childhood-onset type, common comorbid disorders include oppositional defiant disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (both discussed later) (Costello et al., 2003); some studies estimate that up to 90% of children with conduct disorder exhibit symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Frick & Muñoz, 2006). |
| Course |
The earlier the onset and the more severe the disruptive behaviors, the worse the prognosis (Barkley et al., 2002; Frick & Loney, 1999). People with childhood-onset conduct disorder are likely to develop additional symptoms of the disorder by puberty and continue to have the disorder through adolescence. People with the childhood-onset type are more likely than those with the adolescent-onset type to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder in adulthood. |
| Gender Differences |
During their lives, about 12% of American males and 7% of American females will have had symptoms that meet the criteria for conduct disorder (Nock et al., 2006). Although more males than females are diagnosed with this disorder (both types), the sex difference is more marked for the childhood-onset type, with 10 males diagnosed for each female (Moffitt & Caspi, 2001). Males with conduct disorder tend to be confrontationally aggressive (fighting, stealing, vandalism, and school-related problems); females tend to be nonconfrontational (lying, truancy, running away, substance use, and prostitution). |
| Source: Unless otherwise noted, the source for information is American Psychiatric Association, 2013. |