BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested that substantial comorbidity exists among childhood externalizing disorders, specifically @entity71 ( @entity71 ), @entity952 ( @entity952 ), and @entity9054 ( @entity9054 ). Moreover, parent- @entity1 conflict predicts each of these disorders. Our goals were to determine whether parent- @entity1 conflict was associated with the comorbidity among @entity71 , @entity9054 , and @entity952 , and to explicitly examine the etiology of this association via a genetically informative design. METHODS: We compared the fit of the following 2 biometric models: the 2-factor common-pathway model, which examined genetic and environmental contributions to the relationship between conflict and the covariation among the 3 disorders, and the Cholesky model, which examined the relationship between conflict and @entity74 individually. The sample consisted of 808 same-sex 11-year-old twin pairs from the Minnesota Twin Family Study, a population-based sample of Minnesota twins and their families. Main outcome measures included symptom counts for @entity71 , @entity9054 , and @entity952 , obtained from structured interviews administered to twins and their mothers. Parent- @entity1 conflict was assessed via mother and twin reports of the Parental Environment Questionnaire. RESULTS: The 2-factor model provided a better fit to the data. These results indicated that conflict accounted for 33% of the covariation among the disorders, via genetic and environmental factors. CONCLUSIONS: Parent- @entity1 conflict appears to act as a common vulnerability that increases risk for @entity74 . Furthermore, this association is mediated via common genetic and environmental factors. These findings support the idea that the comorbidity among these disorders partially reflects core psychopathological processes in the family environment that link putatively separate @entity146 .

Parent- XXXX conflict and the comorbidity among childhood externalizing disorders.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['child'] @entity146 :: ('MESH:D001523', 'Disease') :: ['psychiatric disorders'] @entity71 :: ('MESH:D001289', 'Disease') :: ['ADHD', 'attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder'] @entity9054 :: ('MESH:D019955', 'Disease') :: ['CD', 'conduct disorder'] @entity952 :: ('MESH:D019958', 'Disease') :: ['ODD', 'oppositional defiant disorder'] @entity74 :: ('MESH:D030342', 'Disease') :: ['multiple childhood disorders', 'each disorder']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['child']
