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Friendship Quality in Youth With and Without Disruptive Behavior Disorders: The Role of Empathy, Aggression, and Callousness

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Abstract

Youth with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD; Oppositional defiant disorder and/or conduct disorder) are known to show impaired social relationships. Little is known about positive (PFQ) and negative best friendship quality (NFQ) in youth with DBD, and their relations with DBD specific symptoms such as aggression subtypes, empathic abilities, and callous unemotional (CU)-traits. The current study includes N = 115 youth with and N = 146 without DBD (Mage = 13.98, SD = 2.2). A diagnostic interview and self-rating questionnaires assessed ODD/CD diagnosis, friendship quality, aggression, empathy, and CU-traits. When examined on a categorical level, youth with and without DBD did not differ in friendship quality. On a dimensional level across groups, perspective taking was positively associated with PFQ. Proactive aggression was positively associated with NFQ. CU-traits in females were positively, while CU-traits in males were negatively, associated with NFQ. Results highlight that behavioral and cognitive symptoms, rather than clinical categories, are important to consider when discussing friendship qualities.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all research assistants for their help in the data collection and to all schools, participants, and their families for their friendly collaboration and support for this research.

Funding

This research was supported by the European Union (FP7 Grant No. 602407; FemNAT-CD; coordinator Christine M. Freitag).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Katharina Ackermann, Anne Martinelli, Anka Bernhard, Christine M. Freitag & Christina Schwenck

  2. Department of Psychology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Gerhard Büttner

  3. Department of Special Needs Educational and Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen, Germany

    Christina Schwenck

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  1. Katharina Ackermann
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  2. Anne Martinelli
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  3. Anka Bernhard
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  4. Christine M. Freitag
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  5. Gerhard Büttner
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Correspondence to Katharina Ackermann.

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Author C.M Freitag declares royalties on books on ASD, ADHD, and MDD and is consultant for Roche and Desitin (ASD). No other authors declare conflict of interest.

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Ackermann, K., Martinelli, A., Bernhard, A. et al. Friendship Quality in Youth With and Without Disruptive Behavior Disorders: The Role of Empathy, Aggression, and Callousness. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 50, 776–788 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-019-00880-x

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