Correlates of conduct disorder among inmates of a Nigerian Borstal Institution

Background Juvenile delinquency has become a significant global problem. Conduct disorder (CD), among other psychiatric disorders, has assumed prominence in its association with juvenile offending as well as criminality in adulthood. Despite this knowledge, little attention is given to this problem especially as it affects adjudicated adolescent offenders in developing countries. Aim To examine the prevalence and correlates of CD among incarcerated adolescents in a Nigerian Borstal Institution and to investigate its independent predictors. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 147 inmates of a Borstal Institution in Abeokuta, South Western Nigeria. A self-administered questionnaire and interviewer administered MINI-KID were used. The associations between conduct disorder and socio demographic as well as forensic variables were investigated using Chi square statistics while logistic regression was used to predict CD. Results Out of 147 respondents, 83 (56.5 %) met the criteria for CD with a mean age 17.1 ± 1.1. Of the socio-demographic and forensic variables investigated, number of siblings (OR 4. 630; p = 0.010; 95 % CI 1.433–14.964) and previous history of incarceration (OR 4. 99; p = 0.043; 95 % CI 1.048–23.846) emerged as independent predictors of CD. Conclusions This study recorded a high prevalence of conduct disorder among a sample of incarcerated juvenile offenders. The association of conduct disorder with large family size and recidivism highlights the need for comprehensive early interventions focused on improving parental supervision in large families as well as other re-training programs aimed at reducing juvenile re-offending.