Co-morbidity of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with focus on personality traits and related disorders in a tertiary referral center.
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence and consequences of co-morbid axis-I and axis-II disorders as well as personality traits were examined in a large cohort of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AADHD) at a tertiary referral center.


METHODS
In- and outpatients referred for diagnostic assessment of AADHD were screened. 372 affected probands were examined by means of the Structured Clinical Interview of DSM-IV axis-I/II disorders, the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R), and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ).


RESULTS
Lifetime co-morbidity with mood disorders was 57.3%, with anxiety disorders 27.2%, and with substance use disorders 45.0%. The histrionic personality disorder (35.2%) was the most frequent personality disorder. AADHD patients exhibited significantly altered scores on most of the NEO-PI-R and TPQ personality dimensions. The extent of substance abuse and dependence, as well as the presence of antisocial personality disorder alone or the cumulative number of other specific personality disorders was associated with lower psychosocial status (p<.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
In a cohort of patients with AADHD referred to a single tertiary center co-morbidity with axis-I/II disorders was remarkably prevalent. In AADHD co-morbid mood, anxiety, and personality disorders as well as substance abuse/dependence is likely to be predictive of poor outcome.
Jacob
Christian P
CP
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Fuechsleinstr. 15, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany. psychpol@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
Romanos
Jasmin
J
Dempfle
Astrid
A
Heine
Monika
M
Windemuth-Kieselbach
Christine
C
Kruse
Anja
A
Reif
Andreas
A
Walitza
Susanne
S
Romanos
Marcel
M
Strobel
Alexander
A
Brocke
Burkhard
B
Schäfer
Helmut
H
Schmidtke
Armin
A
Böning
Jobst
J
Lesch
Klaus-Peter
KP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010556:Personality Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012923:Social Class; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology