
Research view
Title: | The prevalence and characteristics of attention-defi cit hyperactivity disorder among a sample of Egyptian substance-dependent inpatients |
Author: | Ahmed Abdelkarim, Hoda Salama, Soha Ibrahim, Osama Abou El Magd |
Abstract: |
Introduction
Attention-defi cit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects not only children, but persists in up to
4.4% of the general population. Comorbidity is common am ong adults with ADHD, including
substance abuse. To our knowledge, the relation between ADHD and substance-use disorder
(SUD) has not been studied in Arab countries thoroughly.
Aim of the work
The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence rate of adult ADHD among substanceuse
inpatients and to compare substance use in patients with and without adult ADHD with
regard to the onset, the severity, and the type of substance of abuse.
Participants and methods
This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the Addiction Treatment Center at
El Maamoura psychiatric hospital. One hundred and two adult male inpatients were recruited
and assessed using a semistructured interview questionnaire to collect sociodemographic
data, substance-use history, and medical and psychiatric history. The psychiatric interview
was applied, and psychometric assessment was performed using the Arabic version of the
Wender Utah Rating Scale, which examined retrospectively the symptoms of childhood ADHD,
and the Arabic version of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) Symptom Checklist
for screening for adult ADHD.
Results
Thirty-six (35.3%) patients were diagnosed as having adult ADHD according to DSM-IV-TR
criteria. The presence of adult ADHD was associated with an earlier mean age of onset of SUD
(15.58 vs. 13.22 years). It was also associated with a larger number of hospital admissions
(6.83 vs. 3.39 times). Individuals with ADHD achieved a shorter mean period of abstinence
(124.53 vs. 209.82 days).
Conclusion
This study confi rmed the presence of adult ADHD among substance-use patients with a
considerable prevalence rate. Also, the presence of adult ADHD was associated with a more
complicated course of SUD.
Keywor ds :
adult ADHD self-report scale, adult attention-defi cit hyperactivity disorder, prevalence,
substance-use disorders, Wender Utah Rating Scale
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Journal: | Egyptian Journal of Psychiatry 2015, 36:9–13 |
Text: | |
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