Abstract
Objective
To investigate the association between pediatric bipolar‐I (BP‐I) disorder and conduct disorder (CD) using familial risk analysis.
Method
We compared diagnoses in relatives of youth in four proband groups defined by the presence or absence of BP‐I and CD: 1) probands with neither CD nor BP‐I (probands: N=550; relatives: N=1,656), 2) probands with CD and without BP‐I (probands: N=40; relatives: N=127), 3) probands with BP‐I and without CD (probands: N=197; relatives: N=579), and 4) probands with both CD and BP‐I (probands: N=176; relatives: N=488). All subjects were evaluated with structured diagnostic interviews and diagnoses of relatives were made blind to the diagnoses of probands.
Results
Relatives of probands with BP‐I disorder had high rates of BP‐I and relatives of probands with CD had high rates of CD irrespective of the comorbidity with the other disorder. Relatives of probands with the combined condition of CD and BP‐I had high rates of the combined condition.
Conclusion
The finding of co‐segregation between BP‐I disorder and CD is consistent with the hypothesis that the combined condition represents a distinct subtype of either disorder.
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