Self-perceptions of adolescents with and without mood disorder: content and structure

This study compared the self-perceptions of three groups of adolescents: one group with conduct disorder, a second group comorbid with both mood and conduct disorder, and a third group of normal controls. Results indicated that the three groups differed on several domains of self-perception, with each group reporting perceived strengths and weaknesses. Second-order principal component analyses revealed differences across groups in the structure of their self-perceptions. Finally, regression analyses indicated that self-perceptions share variance with a mixture of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results are discussed from a clinical-developmental perspective.