The aim was to identify subgroups within an inpatient cohort (N=296) of youths (age 16-20 years) characterized by psychiatric disorders combined with severe disruptive behavior, based on the age... Show moreThe aim was to identify subgroups within an inpatient cohort (N=296) of youths (age 16-20 years) characterized by psychiatric disorders combined with severe disruptive behavior, based on the age of onset of their disruptive behavior. It was examined whether the distinction in early-onset (EO) disruptive behavior and adolescent-onset (AO) disruptive behavior was relevant in clinical practice for predicting severity of problems and treatment outcome. The subgroups were compared on proximal (i.e., dropout, and psychosocial functioning at discharge) and distal outcomes (i.e., social functioning 18 months after discharge). It was found that the distinction between EO and AO, together with the other predictors (i.e., cannabis use prior to treatment, male sex), was mainly relevant in the relation to dropout. Individuals with EO disruptive behavior had higher chance at dropout, however individuals with EO disruptive behavior who completed treatment reported similar outcome as those with AO disruptive behavior. Show less
