The psychiatric diagnoses of twenty-two adolescents who have sexually molested other children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders in adolescents who have sexually molested other children. Twenty-two adolescent males (aged 13 to 17 years) who sexually molested a child at least once were evaluated with structured clinical interviews for DSM-III-R axis I disorders. All subjects met lifetime DSM-III-R criteria for pedophilia (with the exception of the age requirement), 21 (95%) for two or more paraphilias, 18 (82%) for a mood disorder (12 [55%] for a bipolar disorder), 12 (55%) for an anxiety disorder, 11 (50%) for a substance use disorder, and 12 (55%) for an impulse-control disorder. Also, 12 (71%) of 17 subjects were diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and 16 (94%) with conduct disorder. We conclude that some adolescent child molesters may have pedophilia or other paraphilias. Other axis I disorders with impulsive features, especially conduct, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, bipolar, and substance use disorders, may also be found in these adolescents.