Gender differences in aggressiveness in children and adolescents at risk for schizophrenia

This study aimed to investigate whether differences in aggression-related behavioral problems occur between boys and girls at high risk for schizophrenia living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Using the Child Behavior Checklist, we compared the prevalence of behavioral problems between genders for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista brasileira de psiquiatria 2008-06, Vol.30 (2), p.110-117
Main Authors: Gutt, Elisa Kijner, Petresco, Sandra, Krelling, Renata, Busatto, Geraldo F, Bordin, Isabel A S, Lotufo-Neto, Francisco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior
Aggression - psychology
Brazil
Child
Child Behavior Disorders - psychology
Child of Impaired Parents - psychology
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Epidemiologic Methods
Female
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Humans
Male
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
PSYCHIATRY
Psychological Tests
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenic Psychology
Sex Factors
Socioeconomic Factors
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Summary:This study aimed to investigate whether differences in aggression-related behavioral problems occur between boys and girls at high risk for schizophrenia living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Using the Child Behavior Checklist, we compared the prevalence of behavioral problems between genders for the offspring (6-18 years) of mothers with diagnosis of schizophrenia and a comparison group of children born to women with no severe mental disorders recruited at the gynecology outpatient clinic of the same hospital. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Patient Edition was applied for the evaluation of diagnostic status of mothers. Male children of women with schizophrenia had a lower prevalence of aggressive behavior compared to females (4% vs. 36%; p = 0.005), whereas no gender differences regarding aggression were detected in the comparison group (24% vs. 32%; p = 0.53). Logistic regression analyses showed that male gender and being a child of women with schizophrenia interacted so as to favor lower prevalence of aggressive behavior (p = 0.03). These findings reinforce the notion that behavioral gender differences related to schizophrenia are already detectable in childhood.
ISSN:1516-4446
1809-452X
1516-4446
DOI:10.1590/s1516-44462008000200005