The Relationship of Conduct Disorder to Attempted Suicide and Drug use History Among Methadone Maintenance Patients

In order to examine the effects of a diagnosis of childhood conduct disorder (CD) on history of attempted suicide & drug use, unconfounded by early onset heroin use, 181 methadone maintenance patients who commenced heroin use after the age of 15 were interviewed. CD was diagnosed in 54% of patients. CD patients were more likely to have attempted suicide & to have been hospitalized after an attempt, & to have attempted suicide while enrolled in their current treatment. The implications of these findings are discussed. (29 refs)