title: Symptoms of ADHD and depression in a large adolescent population: co-occurring symptoms and associations to experiences of sexual abuse.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Symptoms of either attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression constitute the most common reasons for contact with child and adolescent psychiatry. The development of psychiatric symptoms can be explained by a combination of environmental stress events and genetic vulnerability. One common form of environmental stress with high impact on health is sexual abuse.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence and co-occurrence of symptoms of ADHD and depression in relation to experiences of sexual abuse in a large adolescent general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 15- and 18-year-old students (n = 4910) in the Swedish county of Vestmanland answered a school-based screening instrument including the six-question ADHD self-rating scale (ASRS), the Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS) and questions relating to experiences of sexual abuse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of co-occurring symptoms of ADHD and depression was 2.4% (boys 1.0%, girls 3.9%). The prevalence of experience of any sexual abuse was 20.9% (boys 13.3%, girls 28.7%). Of those with co-occurring symptoms, 48% of the boys and 47% of the girls reported a history of sexual abuse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School-based screening for co-occurring symptoms of ADHD and depression might be a method that identifies students at psychiatric and psychosocial risk.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, Central Hospital, 721 89 Västerås, and The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Central Hospital, 721 89 Västerås, Sweden. karin.sonnby@ltv.se
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sonnby
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Åslund
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leppert
authors.forename: Kent W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Nilsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses; D013334:Students