title: Prevalence of adult ADHD in an all-female prison unit.
abstract: There is increasing evidence suggesting a link between ADHD and criminality, including a strong association between ADHD symptoms and the likelihood of being on probation or in prison. Most studies investigating the prevalence of ADHD in prison populations have focused on adult male offenders. In the current study, 69 female prisoners were screened for both childhood and adult ADHD symptoms using the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV. The results indicate that 41 % of the prisoners met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD in childhood and continued to meet criteria for ADHD as adults. More importantly, young female prisoners (aged 18-25) were significantly more likely to report symptoms of ADHD than older prisoners. Prisoners who reported symptoms of ADHD also reported high levels of impairment associated with these symptoms. A better understanding of the prevalence of ADHD in female prison units can highlight specific areas for intervention during rehabilitation, as well as the management of serious incidents within prison.
authors.affiliation: Manygates Clinic, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Portobello Road, Wakefield, WF1 5PN, UK.
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farooq
authors.affiliation: Manygates Clinic, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Portobello Road, Wakefield, WF1 5PN, UK. l.emerson@sheffield.ac.uk.|Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. l.emerson@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lisa-Marie
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Emerson
authors.affiliation: Manygates Clinic, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Portobello Road, Wakefield, WF1 5PN, UK.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keoghan
authors.affiliation: Manygates Clinic, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Portobello Road, Wakefield, WF1 5PN, UK.
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adamou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ADHD; Adult; Female; Forensic; Prison