Antisocial teens are at 5 times higher risk of early death

Teenagers who have social conduct disorder and drugs abuse problems are likely to die young, says a study

By: Sudhakar Jha | | Updated: August 14, 2018 11:55 am

Adolescents with conduct disorder and substance use problems are five times more likely to die prematurely than their peers, with roughly one in 20 dying by their 30s, according to a study.

In a new research, published in the journal Addiction, it has been found that that while drug and alcohol use among adolescents draw more attention, it is the antisocial behaviour that may be a more powerful indicator of an early mortality among the youth.

For the study, the researchers looked at death rates among 1,463 teens who had been arrested or referred to counselling for substance use problems or conduct disorder. The researchers also followed 1,399 of their siblings and a control group of 904 adolescents of similar age and demographic background. With an average follow-up age of 32.7 years, the researchers found that 62 of the original study subjects – more than 4 per cent – had died, compared to less than one per cent of controls.

Siblings of the study subjects also had higher mortality rates, with about 2.4 per cent dying. Substance-related deaths were the most common, along with traffic related deaths, suicides and deaths resulting from assaults.

“This research makes it clear that youth identified with conduct problems are at extreme risk for premature mortality, beyond that which can be explained by substance use problems, and in critical need of greater resources,” said Richard Border, one of the study authors and a graduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder in the US.

When the researchers further analysed the data, they discovered that while both conduct disorder and substance use severity were associated with increased mortality risk, conduct disorder was a more powerful single risk factor.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published: August 14, 2018 10:19 am | Updated:August 14, 2018 11:55 am

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