scholarly journals Prevalence of criminal convictions in Norwegian adult ADHD outpatients and associations with ADHD symptom severity and emotional dysregulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Espen Anker ◽  
Ylva Ginsberg ◽  
Trond Heir

Abstract Objectives Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often co-occurs with antisocial behaviour. Several studies have shown high rates of ADHD among prisoners. However, the prevalence of crime among individuals with ADHD is less known. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of lifetime criminal conviction (CC) in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD, and the associations with the severity of ADHD and emotional dysregulation (ED). Methods Patients were admitted to a private psychiatric outpatient clinic in Oslo between 2014 and 2018. Of the 656 patients diagnosed with ADHD, 629 (95.9%) agreed to participate in the study. CC was determined based on self-reporting of the lifetime history of criminal behaviour. ADHD was diagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria, and ADHD severity was measured using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS). ED was assessed by the eight-item version of Barkley’s Current Behaviour Scale - Self-Report (CBS-SR). Results The prevalence of self-reported CC in this clinical sample was 11.7% among women and 24.5% among men. CC was associated with hyperactive-impulsive severity (p < 0.001) and ED (p = 0.006). Conclusions The prevalence of self-reported lifetime criminal conviction was high for both genders. CC was associated with symptom severity of hyperactivity-impulsivity and emotional dysregulation. The findings suggest the need for greater research efforts on the avoidance of criminal activity in people with ADHD and targeted intervention for ADHD treatment and CC prevention.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Espen ANKER ◽  
Ylva Ginsberg ◽  
Trond Heir

Abstract ObjectivesAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often co-occurs with antisocial behaviour. Several studies have shown high rates of ADHD among prisoners. However, the prevalence of crime among individuals with ADHD is less known. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of lifetime criminal conviction (CC) in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD, and the associations with severity of ADHD and emotional dysregulation (ED). MethodsPatients were admitted to a private psychiatric outpatient clinic in Oslo between 2014 and 2018. Out of 656 patients diagnosed with ADHD, 629 (95.9%) agreed to participate in the study. CC was determined based on self-reporting of the lifetime history of criminal behaviour. ADHD was diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria, and the ADHD severity was measured using the Adult ADHD Self Report Scale (ASRS). ED was assessed by the eight-item version of Barkley’s Current Behaviour Scale - Self Report (CBS-SR). ResultsThe prevalence of self-reported CC in this clinical sample was 11.7% among women and 24.5% among men. CC was associated with hyperactive-impulsive severity (p<0.001) and ED (p=0.006).ConclusionsThe prevalence of self-reported lifetime criminal conviction was high for both genders. CC was associated with symptom severity of hyperactivity-impulsivity and emotional dysregulation.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Espen ANKER ◽  
Jan Haavik ◽  
Trond Heir

Abstract Background High risk of substance use disorders (SUD) in people with ADHD calls for exploratory research. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and drug use disorder (DUD) in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD, and to examine their association with ADHD symptom severity and emotional dysregulation (ED).Methods The study sample consisted of patients who were admitted to a private psychiatric outpatient clinic in Oslo between 2014 and 2018. Out of 612 patients diagnosed with ADHD, 585 (96.5%) agreed to participate in the study. ADHD was diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria. AUD and DUD were diagnosed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). ADHD severity was assessed by the Adult ADHD Self Report Scale (ASRS). Emotional Dysregulation (ED) was assessed by the eight-item version of Barkley’s Current Behavior Scale - Self Report (CBS-SR).Results The 12-month prevalence of AUD and DUD was 5.3% and 13.7%, respectively. The lifetime prevalence was 12.0% for AUD and 27.7% for DUD. A history of DUD, but not AUD, was positively associated with hyperactivity-impulsivity ADHD core symptoms, as well as ED.Conclusions The prevalence of lifetime DUD among patients with ADHD is high and associated with higher levels of hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms, as well as ED. It is important to consider comorbid DUD in adult ADHD patients, particularly among individuals with high levels of hyperactivity-impulsivity ADHD core symptoms or ED.


2021 ◽  
pp. 108705472110276
Author(s):  
Sébastien Weibel ◽  
Floriane Bicego ◽  
Sarah Muller ◽  
Emilie Martz ◽  
Mădălina Elena Costache ◽  
...  

Objectives: Emotional dysregulation (ED) in adult ADHD is frequent but definition and tools for its evaluation are not consensual. Our aim was to determine the core ADHD symptomatic domains via the Self-Reported Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (SR-WRAADDS) following its validation in a large clinical sample of adults with ADHD and controls. Method: Three hundred sixty-nine adult patients with ADHD and 251 healthy participants completed the SR-WRAADDS and questionnaires about ADHD, depression, and ED. We analyzed the psychometric properties of the SR-WRAADDS and a factor analysis yielded symptomatic domains. Results: The SR-WRAADDS has good reliability. The 30 symptoms were best organized in a four-factor solution: attention/disorganization, hyperactivity/restlessness, impulsivity/emotional outbursts, and emotional lability. Conclusions: The symptomatic structure of the SR-WRAADDS includes two distinct dimensions related to ED: “impulsivity/emotional outbursts” and “emotional lability.” The SR-WRAADDS is a reliable and clinically useful tool that assesses all ADHD symptom domains, including facets of ED.


Author(s):  
Jan Willer

One out of every 10 adult psychotherapy clients—or more—probably has attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When psychotherapists miss the ADHD, treatment is frustrating and less effective. This book is for the general mental health professional who wishes to learn how to recognize, assess, and treat adult ADHD. Adults with ADHD are very different, developmentally and symptomatically, from children. ADHD affects adults of all races, gender identities, and backgrounds, and obvious hyperactivity is rarely part of the adult clinical picture. This book provides a full description of adult ADHD symptoms, based on the most current research, including executive functioning problems, emotional dysregulation, atypical reward sensitivity, and problems with time perception. Complete guidance to recognizing adult ADHD is provided, including behavior displayed during psychotherapy, developmental issues, educational challenges, and adaptive functioning problems. Depression, anxiety, self-image issues, and substance abuse are addressed, since these mental health problems are commonly associated with adult ADHD. Guidance is provided to help the mental health practitioner provide psychoeducation about cognitive differences in ADHD, which is essential for client self-acceptance and adaptive functioning. Common psychotherapy problems with ADHD clients are addressed, including chronic lateness to sessions, missed appointments, motivation problems, difficulties with homework, and tangentiality. The principles of cognitive-behavioral treatment of ADHD are provided, along with case examples to illustrate the implementation of these techniques. An overview of medications for ADHD is provided, including their benefits, contraindications, and side effects. Nontraditional treatments are reviewed for their effectiveness.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maayan Ben Dor Cohen ◽  
Eran Eldar ◽  
Adina Maeir ◽  
Mor Nahun

Abstract Objective: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with emotional dysregulation (ED) and impaired quality of life (QoL). However, the role of ED in explaining the relationship between ADHD and QoL is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to do so in a sample of non-referred young adults with and without ADHD.Method: The study design was cross-sectional. A non-clinical sample of 62 young adults with ADHD (mean age = 24.86 years, SD = 3.25) and 69 controls (mean age = 23.84 years, SD = 2.59) were recruited. The Adult ADHD Quality-of-Life scale was used to measure QoL; The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale was used to measure ADHD symptoms. The Self-Report Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were used to measure ED. Group differences on all measures were tested using univariate and multivariate analyses of covariance, while controlling for age. Univariate analyses of variance were conducted to investigate the possible effect of medication on all outcome measures in the ADHD group. Finally, a moderation analysis was used in order to examine the impact of ED on QoL beyond that accounted for by ADHD symptoms.Results: Both QoL and ED were significantly worse for the ADHD group compared to the control group. The medication status of the ADHD group participants had no significant effect on the level of ADHD symptoms, ED or QoL. ED moderated the effect of ADHD symptoms on QoL for the ADHD group.Conclusion: The findings support the centrality of ED in ADHD and its crucial influence on QoL. Young adults with ADHD and high levels of ED are at risk for aversive impact on their well-being regardless of their ADHD symptoms level.


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (03) ◽  
pp. 277-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Haggarty ◽  
Brian P. O’Connor ◽  
Jeremy B. Mozzon ◽  
S. Kathleen Bailey

AimTo describe the symptoms and functional changes in patients with high levels of somatization who were referred to an outpatient, multidisciplinary, shared mental healthcare (SMHC) service that primarily offered cognitive behavioural therapy. Second, we wished to compare the levels of somatization in this outpatient clinical sample with previously published community norms.BackgroundSomatization is common in primary care, and it can lead to significant impairment, disproportionate resource use, and poses a challenge for management.MethodsAll the patients (18+ years,n=508) who attended three or more treatment sessions in SMHC primary care over a seven-year period were eligible for inclusion to this pre–post study. Self-report measures included the Patient Health Questionnaire’s somatic symptom severity scale (PHQ-15) and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS II). Normative comparisons were used to assess the degree of symptoms and functional changes.FindingsClinically significant levels of somatization before treatment were common (n=138, 27.2%) and were associated with a significant reduction in somatic symptom severity (41.3% reduction;P&lt;0.001) and disability (44% reduction;P&lt;0.001) after treatment. Patients’ levels of somatic symptom severity and disability approached but did not quite reach the community sample norms following treatment. Multidisciplinary short-term SMHC was associated with significant improvement in patient symptoms and disability, and shows promise as an effective treatment for patients with high levels of somatization. Including a control group would allow more confidence regarding the conclusions about the effectiveness of SMHC for patients impaired by somatization.


2000 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Ottosson ◽  
Martin Grann ◽  
Gunnar Kullgren

Summary: Short-term stability or test-retest reliability of self-reported personality traits is likely to be biased if the respondent is affected by a depressive or anxiety state. However, in some studies, DSM-oriented self-reported instruments have proved to be reasonably stable in the short term, regardless of co-occurring depressive or anxiety disorders. In the present study, we examined the short-term test-retest reliability of a new self-report questionnaire for personality disorder diagnosis (DIP-Q) on a clinical sample of 30 individuals, having either a depressive, an anxiety, or no axis-I disorder. Test-retest scorings from subjects with depressive disorders were mostly unstable, with a significant change in fulfilled criteria between entry and retest for three out of ten personality disorders: borderline, avoidant and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Scorings from subjects with anxiety disorders were unstable only for cluster C and dependent personality disorder items. In the absence of co-morbid depressive or anxiety disorders, mean dimensional scores of DIP-Q showed no significant differences between entry and retest. Overall, the effect from state on trait scorings was moderate, and it is concluded that test-retest reliability for DIP-Q is acceptable.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Somma ◽  
Serena Borroni ◽  
Andrea Fossati

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Samuel ◽  
John D. Ranseen

Previous studies have indicated a consistent profile of basic personality traits correlated with adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (e.g., Ranseen, Campbell, &amp; Baer, 1998; Nigg et al., 2002). In particular, research has found that low scores of the Conscientiousness trait and high scores on Neuroticism have been correlated with ADHD symptomatology. However, to date there is limited information concerning the range of effect resulting from medication treatment for adult ADHD. During an 18 month period, 60 adults were diagnosed with ADHD based on strict, DSM-IV criteria at an outpatient clinic. This evaluation included a battery of neuropsychological tests and a measure of general personality (i.e., the NEO PI-R). Eleven of these participants returned to complete the battery a second time. The pre-post comparisons revealed significant changes following sustained stimulant treatment on both the neuropsychological and self-report measures. These individuals also displayed significant changes on two domains of the NEO PI-R. They showed a significant decrease on the domain of Neuroticism, indicating that now see themselves as less prone to experience negative emotional states such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, they also reported a significant increase on their scores on the domain of conscientiousness. This increase suggests that they see themselves as more organized and dependable.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 489
Author(s):  
Giulio Emilio Brancati ◽  
Margherita Barbuti ◽  
Elisa Schiavi ◽  
Paola Colombini ◽  
Martina Moriconi ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Emotional dysregulation is central to the problem of the overlap between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cyclothymia. The aim of the study was to evaluate comorbidity rates between ADHD and cyclothymic disorder and to explore demographic and clinical differences among the groups, focusing on affective temperament and emotional dysregulation. Materials and Methods: One hundred sixty-five outpatients attending the Second Psychiatry Unit at the Santa Chiara University Hospital (Pisa) were consecutively recruited: 80 were diagnosed with ADHD, 60 with cyclothymic disorder, and 25 with both conditions. Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego (TEMPS-M) and the 40-item version of Reactivity, Intensity, Polarity, and Stability questionnaire (RI-PoSt-40) were administered. Results: Cyclothymic patients were more frequently female and older with respect to the ADHD groups. Both comorbid and non-comorbid ADHD patients showed significantly lower educational attainment and more frequently had substance use disorders. Panic disorder was common in non-comorbid cyclothymic patients, who showed significantly higher rates of familial panic disorder, major depressive disorder and suicide attempts in comparison with patients only diagnosed with ADHD. Cyclothymic patients without ADHD were also characterized by fewer hyperthymic temperamental traits, higher depressive and anxious dispositions, and a greater negative emotionality. No significant differences among groups were observed for cyclothymic temperament and overall negative emotional dysregulation, but comorbid patients with both conditions scored the highest in these subscales. This group also showed significantly higher affective instability with respect to ADHD patients without cyclothymia and was less frequently diagnosed with bipolar disorder type II than patients from both the other groups. Conclusions: ADHD and cyclothymia often co-occur and show similar levels of emotional dysregulation. However, cyclothymic patients may be more prone to negative emotionality in clinical settings. Subjects with “sunny” cyclothymic features might escape the attention of clinicians unless ADHD is present.


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