School Dropout and Conduct Disorder in Brazilian Elementary School Students

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the association between DSM-IV conduct disorder (CD) and school dropout in a sample of students from the third and fourth elementary grades at state schools in the capital of the southernmost state of Brazil. Methods: In this case-control study, students that dropped out of schools ( n = 44) and a control group who continued attending schools ( n = 44) were assessed for CD and other prevalent mental disorders, using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children, Epidemiological Version (K-SADS-E). Results: The prevalence of DSM-IV CD was significantly higher in the school-dropout group than in control subjects ( P < 0.001), both in the entire sample and in a subsample including only subjects under age 12 years ( P = 0.001). Also, the odds ratio (OR) for school dropout was significantly higher in the presence of DSM-IV CD, even after controlling for potential confounding factors (age, estimated IQ, school repetition, family structure, and income) ( P < 0.01). Conclusion: Our results extend to children and young adolescents previous findings from studies of older adolescents, suggesting an association between school dropout and CD.