Relationship between Depression and Conduct Disorder in Children and Adolescents

Of 60 children and adolescents referred for assessment of depression, 11 cases were found which met diagnostic criteria for both conduct disorder and affective disorder. These 11 subjects could not be distinguished from those with major depression on the basis of psychiatric ratings of depressive symptoms—both diagnostic groups were characterized by multiple depressive symptoms of high severity. Psychiatric ratings also indicated that depressive symptoms were more severe in cases of conduct disorder with depression than in cases of dysthymic disorder. Child and adolescent self-reports of depression were consistent with this pattern of results.