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. 2005 Oct;95(10):1767-72.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.061424. Epub 2005 Aug 30.

The high costs of aggression: public expenditures resulting from conduct disorder

E Michael Foster  1 , Damon E Jones
Affiliations

The high costs of aggression: public expenditures resulting from conduct disorder

E Michael Foster et al. Am J Public Health. 2005 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: We explored the economic implications of conduct disorder (CD) among adolescents in 4 poor communities in the United States. We examined a range of expenditures related to this disorder across multiple public sectors, including mental health, general health, school, and juvenile justice.

Methods: We used self- and parental-report data to estimate expenditures during a 7-year period in late adolescence of a sample of youths. We contrasted expenditures for youths with CD and youths with oppositional defiant disorder, elevated symptoms (no CD diagnosis), and all others. Diagnosis was determined with a structured assessment.

Results: Additional public costs per child related to CD exceeded $70000 over a 7-year period.

Conclusions: Public expenditures on youths with CD are substantially larger than for youths with closely related conditions, reflecting the importance of prevention and early treatment for the disorder.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Mean total costs per child across years, by group. Note. CD = conduct disorder; ODD = oppositional defiant disorder.
FIGURE 2—
FIGURE 2—
Percentage costs within service sectors by group (averaged across years). Note. ODD = oppositional defiant disorder; CD = conduct disorder.
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