Psychiatry Research EG

Background Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common psychiatric disorder with higher rates of comorbidity especially with neurotic disorders. About 25–45% of ADHD children have comorbid anxiety disorders, but the correlation and complex interplay between both is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the rate of anxiety disorders in a clinical referred sample of children with ADHD and moreover, to assess clinical characteristics and possible comorbidities in those group. Methodology Seventy children with ADHD were investigated with a semistructured interview, complemented by psychiatrists with the children and their parents. Their IQ was calculated with Wechsler intelligence scale for children (WISC-III). Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview for children and adolescent (MINI-KID) was used to prove the diagnosis of ADHD and anxiety disorders. Conner’s scale and manifest anxiety scale were used to assess the ADHD symptoms profile and severity of anxiety symptoms, respectively. Results After exclusion of overlapping symptoms between ADHD and anxiety disorder, 51.4% of the sample had anxiety disorders, whereas 34.3% depression was found in the sample. The most frequent anxiety disorder was generalized anxiety disorder followed by social anxiety disorder as it was 38.6 and 34.3%, respectively, whereas the least frequent was that of obsessive compulsive disorder (2.9%). Furthermore, among all ADHD symptoms only anxious/shy dimension could predict presence of comorbid anxiety as a P value of 0.017. Conclusion Children with ADHD seem to be more prone to comorbid anxiety disorders, at least in clinical samples referred to specialized units. Keywords: anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, comorbidity, depression, Egyptian sample