title: A national epidemiological study investigating risk factors for police interrogation and false confession among juveniles and young persons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The principal aims of this study are to identify risk factors associated with police arrest and false confessions and to investigate whether the severity of the ADHD condition/symptoms increases the risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  22,226 young persons in Iceland anonymously completed self-report questionnaires screening for conduct disorder and ADHD. In addition, they stated whether they had a diagnosis of ADHD and had received ADHD medication, and their history of offending, police interrogation and false confession. Participants were stratified into two age groups, 14-16 and 17-24 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The older group was significantly more likely to have been interrogated by the police but the younger group were much more vulnerable to false confession during interrogation. Males were more likely to be at risk for both than females. The severity of the ADHD condition increased the risk of both interrogation and false confession. Negative binomial regressions showed that age, gender, conduct disorder, offending, and ADHD symptoms were all significant predictors of both interrogations and number of false confessions. Conduct disorder was the single best predictor of police interrogation, but the findings were more mixed regarding false confessions. Young people presenting with a combination of severe ADHD and comorbid conduct disorder had the worst outcome for both interrogation and false confessions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings endorse the need for support of persons with ADHD to be put in place to ensure fair due process and to prevent miscarriages of justice.
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, UK.|Reykjavik University, Reykjavík, Iceland.
authors.forename: Gisli H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Gudjonsson
authors.affiliation: Reykjavik University, Reykjavík, Iceland.|University of Iceland and Landspitali-The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland.
authors.forename: Jon Fridrik
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sigurdsson
authors.affiliation: Reykjavik University, Reykjavík, Iceland.
authors.forename: Inga Dora
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Sigfusdottir
authors.affiliation: Reykjavik University, Reykjavík, Iceland.
authors.forename: Bryndis Bjork
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Asgeirsdottir
authors.affiliation: Imperial College London, London, UK.|University of Puerto Rico Graduate School of Public Health, San Juan, USA.
authors.forename: Rafael A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Reykjavik University, Reykjavík, Iceland. susan.young1@imperial.ac.uk.|Imperial College London, London, UK. susan.young1@imperial.ac.uk.|Broadmoor Hospital, WLMHT, London, UK. susan.young1@imperial.ac.uk.|Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, 7th Floor Commonwealth Building, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK. susan.young1@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003068:Coercion; D015897:Comorbidity; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008297:Male; D016495:Police; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ADHD; Conduct disorder; Epidemiology; False confessions; Interrogation; Offending