title: ADHD severity as it relates to comorbid psychiatric symptomatology in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
abstract: Comorbid diagnoses identified in pediatric samples have been correlated with a range of outcomes, including greater levels of emotional, behavioral, and educational impairment and the need for more intensive treatment. Given that previous research has documented high levels of comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), this study closely examines the relationship between parent-reported ADHD symptoms (i.e., Conners' Parent Rating Scale, Revised [CPRS-R]) and the prevalence of additional comorbid psychiatric diagnoses in a pediatric ASD sample (n=99). Regression analyses revealed that greater severity of ADHD symptomatology was significantly related to a greater number of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, as identified using the Diagnostic Interview for Children and adolescents, 4th Edition (DICA-IV). Additionally, more severe ADHD symptoms were also associated with higher levels of symptom severity on Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) syndrome subscales. Interestingly, increasing severity of ASD symptomatology, as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R), was not associated with a higher prevalence of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses or CBCL syndrome severity. Our study concluded that higher levels of ADHD severity-not ASD severity-were associated with a higher prevalence of comorbid psychiatric symptomatology in school-age children with ASD. These findings may encourage clinicians to thoroughly assess ADHD symptomatology in ASD children to better inform treatment planning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States. Electronic address: Rosleen.Mansour@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Rosleen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Houston, United States.
authors.forename: Allison T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Dovi
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology and Statistics, Rice University, United States.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Loveland
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States.
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Pearson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D057189:Checklist; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: ASD-ADHD; Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder; Autism spectrum disorder; Comorbidity; DSM-5 diagnostic criteria; Psychiatric symptom severity