Drug preferences in illicit drug abusers with a childhood tendency of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a study using the Wender Utah Rating Scale in a Japanese prison.
The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between childhood tendencies of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and illicit drug abuse in Japanese prisoners, and to clarify whether drug abusers with AD/HD prefer methamphetamine (MAP) more than other illicit drugs. The Japanese version of the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), which is a self-reporting instrument to retrospectively identify childhood tendencies of AD/HD tendencies, was carried given to 413 prisoners without a drug addiction and 282 prisoners with a drug addiction (192, MAP; 53, toluene; and 37, cannabis). WURS scores were compared between prisoners with and without a drug addiction, and between MAP, toluene, and cannabis abusers. Consequently, prisoners with a drug addiction showed significantly higher WURS scores than those without the addiction (P < 0.001). Toluene abusers showed significantly higher WURS scores than cannabis abusers (P < 0.001), and included a higher proportion with scores over cut-off than MAP or cannabis abusers (P = 0.005). In conclusion, a close relationship existed between illicit drug abuse and childhood AD/HD tendencies. Drug-abusing prisoners with AD/HD tendencies were not prone to choose MAP over other illicit drugs.
Matsumoto
Toshihiko
T
Division of Forensic Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Chiba, Japan. tmatsu@ncnp-k.go.jp
Yamaguchi
Akiko
A
Asami
Takeshi
T
Kamijo
Atsushi
A
Iseki
Eizo
E
Hirayasu
Yoshio
Y
Wada
Kiyoshi
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008694:Methamphetamine; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014050:Toluene
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D014050:Toluene; D008694:Methamphetamine