... prevalent psychiatric disorders were conduct disorder (47%), major depression (29%), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (17%), and oppositional defiant disorder (11%). Latent class analysis identified 6 distinct profiles of psychiatric comorbidity. All profiles included conduct disorder symptoms, with varying severity. The most prevalent class consisted of teens primarily with conduct problems only (23%). Adolescents with low severity externalizing problems (15%) tended to have relatively high readiness to change alcohol use compared to other comorbidity profiles. Results indicate heterogeneity among youth presenting to addictions treatment, particularly with regard to profile of co-occurring psychiatric symptoms and readiness to change substance use. Youth with overall low severity of externalizing behaviours reported higher readiness to change alcohol use relative to teens with other comorbidity profiles, highlighting the potential importance of enhancing and maintaining teens' readiness to change substance use behaviour during treatment, specifically in relation to the adolescent's profile of psychiatric comorbidity. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery
In this American study 169 adolescents aged 14-18 years old were recruited from addictions treatment completed a comprehensive assessment of substance use and other psychiatric disorders, and measures of readiness to change substance use. Latent class analysis was used to identify distinct profiles of comorbid psychopathology, which were then related to measures of readiness to change. The most prevalent psychiatric disorders were conduct disorder (47%), major depression (29%), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (17%), and oppositional defiant disorder (11%). Latent class analysis identified 6 distinct profiles of psychiatric comorbidity. All profiles included conduct disorder symptoms, with varying severity. The most prevalent class consisted of teens primarily with conduct problems only (23%). Adolescents with low severity externalizing problems (15%) tended to have relatively high readiness to change alcohol use compared to other comorbidity profiles. Results indicate heterogeneity among youth presenting to addictions treatment, particularly with regard to profile of co-occurring psychiatric symptoms and readiness to change substance use. Youth with overall low severity of externalizing behaviours reported higher readiness to change alcohol use relative to teens with other comorbidity profiles, highlighting the potential importance of enhancing and maintaining teens' readiness to change substance use behaviour during treatment, specifically in relation to the adolescent's profile of psychiatric comorbidity. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Subject terms:
personality disorders, substance misuse, young people, ADHD, behaviour, depression, comorbidity;