Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbidity in Brazil: comparisons between two referred samples.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare the pattern of comorbidity in referred samples of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients from two different geographic areas in Brazil.


METHODS
The diagnoses of ADHD and comorbid conditions, according to DSM-IV criteria, were achieved in both clinics through semi-structured interview methodology, complemented by clinical interviews with the children or adolescents and their parents.


RESULTS
We assessed 343 ADHD children and adolescents in Porto Alegre (capital of the southernmost state of the country) and 78 ADHD youths in Rio de Janeiro (capital of a southeastern state). Although a significant difference in the prevalence of ADHD without comorbidity was detected between the two groups (p = 0.02), no significant difference was detected in the profile of comorbidities between them. Main ADHD comorbidities in both samples were: a) Oppositional Defiant Disorder (Porto Alegre = 39.1%; Rio de Janeiro = 51.3 %); b) Anxiety Disorders (Porto Alegre = 24.2%; Rio de Janeiro = 30.8 %); c) Conduct Disorder (Porto Alegre = 13.7%; Rio de Janeiro = 17.9 %); and d) Major Depression and/or Dysthymia (Porto Alegre = 11.4%; Rio de Janeiro = 10.3 %).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results from clinical samples in a developing country with a diverse culture suggest the crosscultural validity of the ADHD comorbidity profile.
Souza
Isabella
I
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil.
Pinheiro
Maria Antônia
MA
Denardin
Daniel
D
Mattos
Paulo
P
Rohde
Luis Augusto
LA
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data