The effects of ADHD in adult substance abusers.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychiatric comorbidities and different areas of life functioning in substance abusers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. A cross-sectional, multi-center study involving 285 adult substance abusers from outpatient and inpatient clinics was performed. The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, the sixth version of the Addiction Severity Index, and the Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview were used for data collection. Individuals with comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorders showed increased addiction severity when compared with individuals without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (53.3 ± 7.3 vs. 48.4 ± 8.4, respectively). Our results suggest that comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorders is associated with a more severe course of substance use and with social and psychiatric impairment.
a Center for Drug and Alcohol Research , Hospital de Clínicas of Porto Alegre and Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul , Porto Alegre , Brazil.
Helena Ferreira
HF
Moura
Sibele
S
Faller
Daniela
D
Benzano
Cláudia
C
Szobot
Lisia
L
von Diemen
Anderson Ravy
AR
Stolf
Maria Lucia
ML
Souza-Formigoni
Marcelo Santos
MS
Cruz
Sílvia
S
Brasiliano
Flavio
F
Pechansky
Felix Henrique Paim
FH
Kessler
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012919:Social Behavior; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology