Exploring the Utility of the Limited Prosocial Emotions Specifier for Subtyping Conduct Problems and Oppositional Defiant Problems: A Multi-informant Study

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of the "Limited Prosocial Emotions" (LPE) specifier in subtyping conduct problems (CP) and oppositional defiant problems (ODP) among two samples including 1203 parent-child dyads and 1,937 school-attending youths in Iran. The prevalence of LPE across the entire sample, as well as subsamples of youths with clinically elevated levels of CP and ODP, were examined. CP + LPE individuals scored significantly higher than CP-Only youths on several measures of externalizing psychopathology and depression, although these findings were not fully consistent across informants. Several anticipated differences in measures of aggression and antisocial behavior were not found. Also, no significant group differences were observed between the ODP + LPE and ODP-Only groups concerning externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. In the total sample, youths with LPE scored significantly higher in measures of externalizing and internalizing psychopathology than those without LPE, though the magnitude of these differences was in small ranges. Overall, the findings provide only limited support for the clinical utility of the LPE specifier for CP and none whatsoever for ODP.

Keywords: Callous-unemotional traits; Conduct problems; Grandiose-manipulative; Limited prosocial emotions specifier; Oppositional defiant disorder; Psychopathy; Subtyping.