Self-Reported Depression and Observable Conduct Problems in Children

The present study investigated the association between conduct problem behaviors and self-reported depression in prepubescent males. Subjects were 56 emotionally disturbed boys, aged 9 to 12, who were inpatients of a psychiatric hospital for children. A supplemented version of the Behavior Problem Checklist was used to assess conduct disorder and four other dimensions of problem behavior, and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) was completed by each subject. Results suggest that the overall positive correlation between conduct disorder and self-reported depression is a function of CDI items reflecting misconduct rather than depressed mood. These findings have implications for the scales used to investigate behavioral and personality dimensions, as the content of such scales may not accurately represent the overall construct.