Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder in Boys: Patterns of Behavioral Covariation

Studied patterns of covariation among symptoms of conduct problems in an outpatient clinic sample of 177 boys. These patterns were examined in relation to criteria for oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev. [DSMIll-R]; American Psychiatric Association, 1987). Factor analysis of parent and teacher responses to a structured psychiatric interview revealed two dimensions of conduct problems similar to the distinction between ODD and CD. However, some symptoms often associated with CD (bullying and violation of major rules) consistently loaded uniquely on the factor composed of ODD symptoms, and the DSMIII-R symptoms of fighting and lying had approximately equal loadings on both factors. Cluster analysis of scores derived from summing items with unique loadings on the ODD and CD factors yielded three profiles: deviance on only the ODD factor, deviance on both the ODD and CD factors, and deviance on neither factor. A distinct cluster of children with elevations only on the CD factor did not emerge.