Distribution of symptoms of conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder in Turkey

Background: A variety of conduct disorder ( CD) symptoms are seen together as a symptom cluster. Among CD symptoms there are serious and stubborn antisocial behaviors: lying, swindling, running away from home/ school, destructiveness, arson, kidnapping women, sexual abuse, and armed robbery. The objective of this study was to discover the relationship between CD and antisocial personality disorder (APD) and the distribution of the symptoms of these disorders. Sampling and Methods: The research sample consisted of 994 individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 years in Sivas province. Subjects were given the Diagnostic Interview Schedule-III- R (DIS-III-R) APD subscale. Results: The lifetime prevalence for CD and APD was found to be 21.03 and 3.02%, respectively. In both disorders the percentage of men was higher than for women. The comorbidity of both disorders was found to be 14.35%. The most frequently seen CD symptom in normal society is 'lying', but in those with CD 'initiates a fight several times' is the most frequently seen symptom. In those with APD the most frequently seen symptom is 'truant from school several times'. Conclusions: Identifying risk factors in children could be an important step in preventing the progression of CD and APD. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.