title: Severity of childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder--a risk factor for personality disorders in adult life?
abstract: Some evidence points to an increased rate of cluster B and C personality disorders (PDs) in adult ADHD patients. In order to assess axis II disorders comprehensively we used the diagnostic instrument of the WHO. In sixty adult out-patients with ADHD according to DSM-IV criteria PDs were assessed with the International PD Examination (IPDE) and severity of childhood ADHD with the Wender-Utah-Rating Scale (WURS). We found at least one PD in 25% of cases. Cluster C PDs were most common (36.6%) followed by Cluster B (23.3%) and A (8.3%). Avoidant (21.7%) and borderline (18.3%) were the most frequent single PD entities. ADHD patients with PD suffered from significantly more severe childhood ADHD compared to those without co-occurring PD. Applying the IPDE we confirmed a high number of PDs among adult ADHD patients. Our findings point to a higher vulnerability for the development of PDs in patients with severe childhood ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5 D-79104, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Swantje
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matthies
authors.forename: Ludger Tebartz
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: van Elst
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Feige
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scheel
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krogmann
authors.forename: Evgeniy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perlov
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Philipsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index