Predictive validity of callous–unemotional traits measured in early adolescence with respect to multiple antisocial outcomes.

TLDR

The study examined whether callous‑unemotional traits assessed in 7th‑grade youth predict later antisocial behavior. It followed 754 adolescents longitudinally, measuring CU traits with the APSD and tracking self‑reported delinquency, serious crimes, arrest records, and antisocial personality disorder symptoms up to two years after high school. CU traits at grade 7 predicted five of six antisocial outcomes—general delinquency, juvenile and adult arrests, and antisocial personality disorder—beyond conduct disorder and ADHD, and adding a CU specifier to conduct disorder diagnoses improved prediction with a very low false‑positive rate, with only urban residence modestly amplifying the association with adult arrests.

Abstract

This study investigated the predictive validity of youth callous-unemotional (CU) traits, as measured in early adolescence (Grade 7) by the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001), in a longitudinal sample (N = 754). Antisocial outcomes, assessed in adolescence and early adulthood, included self-reported general delinquency from 7th grade through 2 years post-high school, self-reported serious crimes through 2 years post-high school, juvenile and adult arrest records through 1 year post-high school, and antisocial personality disorder symptoms and diagnosis at 2 years post-high school. CU traits measured in 7th grade were highly predictive of 5 of the 6 antisocial outcomes-general delinquency, juvenile and adult arrests, and early adult antisocial personality disorder criterion count and diagnosis-over and above prior and concurrent conduct problem behavior (i.e., criterion counts of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (criterion count). Incorporating a CU traits specifier for those with a diagnosis of conduct disorder improved the positive prediction of antisocial outcomes, with a very low false-positive rate. There was minimal evidence of moderation by sex, race, or urban/rural status. Urban/rural status moderated one finding, with being from an urban area associated with stronger relations between CU traits and adult arrests. Findings clearly support the inclusion of CU traits as a specifier for the diagnosis of conduct disorder, at least with respect to predictive validity.