Journal of Attention Disorders

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine co-occurrence of ADHD and anxiety in preschool children. Method: The data collection was part of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. After a screening for ADHD symptoms at 36 months, participants were clinically assessed at age 36 to 44 months. Psychiatric symptoms of ADHD and anxiety were derived from the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA) interview. Results: In preschoolers with ADHD symptoms, 33% were reported to have symptoms of anxiety. Children with symptoms of ADHD and anxiety had more severe ADHD symptomatology, and particularly more inattentive symptoms compared with children with ADHD symptoms and no anxiety. Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of the frequent overlap between symptoms of anxiety and ADHD in preschoolers as different intervention strategies may be required.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate language impairments (LI) in a nonclinical sample of children with ADHD, reading disorder (RD), and ADHD + RD, and to explore whether these groups could be differentiated from each other and a control group regarding different aspects of language. Method: The groups were derived from a population-based sample of 5,672 children, 7 to 9 years. Language problems and the groups were defined from parent/teacher reports. Results: LI was identified in the majority within the ADHD + RD group and in >40% of the ADHD and RD group. More phonological and expressive language problems were seen in the RD than the ADHD group, while receptive language problems were more prominent in ADHD. More pragmatic problems were identified in the ADHD group. Conclusion: The present results support findings from clinical samples pointing to a considerable rate of LI both in children with ADHD and in children with RD.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore the prevalence of ADHD and comorbid disorders in a community sample of adult male prisoners in Iran. Method: Through stratified sampling method, 908 adult male prison inmates in Gorgan Prison were recruited on a voluntary basis. Diagnostic assessments were based on the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Screener and a clinical interview based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) criteria and psychiatric interview. Comorbid disorders were assessed with the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition, and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory–III. Results: ADHD was present in 147 participants (16.2%). Eighty-five percent of participants with ADHD reported lifetime substance abuse. They had higher rates of mood (40.8%) and anxiety (55.1%) disorders. Antisocial and borderline personality disorders were also more prevalent among offenders with ADHD. Conclusion: ADHD is prevalent in offenders and it is associated with comorbid disorders. The results emphasize the necessity of treatment programs for offenders with ADHD.

Objective: To investigate characteristics of attention in children with the combination of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. Method: Four groups of 8- to 10-year-old children were compared on the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test–Second Edition (CCPT-II): (a) ASD + ADHD (n = 11), (b) ASD only (n = 9), (c) ADHD only (n = 38), and (d) no diagnosis (n = 134). Results: There was an overall effect of group on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) index and measures of hit reaction time, accuracy, response style, variability, and consistency. The ASD + ADHD group, much like the ADHD only group, had a more risky response style, a higher variability, and a lower consistency than the ASD only group. The impact of intellectual function on CCPT-II performance was considerable in children within the ASD subgroups. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of including measures of attention and intellectual function when assessing children with the combination of ASD and ADHD.

Objective: Few studies have demonstrated a possible association between ADHD and obesity in adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ADHD in a sample of obese women seeking treatment, and its relations with binge eating and bulimic behaviors. Method: We performed a cross-sectional study in a clinical sample of one hundred fifty-five women, with a mean age of 38.9 (+10.7) years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 39.2 (+5.29). Participants were evaluated with semistructured interviews and completed self-report psychiatric rating scales. Results: The rate of ADHD in the sample was of 28.3%. The presence of ADHD was significantly correlated with more severe binge eating, bulimic behaviors, and depressive symptomatology. Conclusion: Similar to previous studies, a higher than expected rate of ADHD was observed among obese women. ADHD in obese individuals may be a risk factor for greater severity of disordered eating patterns.

Objective: Although evidence suggests that hoarding may be associated with symptoms of ADHD, no study has examined this relationship in children. Method: Participants included 99 youth diagnosed with ADHD (and a parent) seen in a general outpatient psychiatry clinic. Children completed the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory–Child Version, the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Parents completed the Children’s Saving Inventory and Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale–Parent Version. Results: Inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms were the only indicator that differentiated those with and without clinically significant hoarding. Symptoms of ADHD, but not nonhoarding obsessive-compulsive symptoms, significantly predicted hoarding. Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity were uniquely associated with individual hoarding features. Hoarding symptoms mediated the relationship between ADHD and oppositionality. Conclusion: These findings contribute to the growing literature about the association between hoarding and ADHD.

Objective: The attention profile of girls with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is unclear compared with boys with ASD and typical children. This study aimed to investigate parent-reported ASD and ADHD symptoms in a large sample of boys and girls with and without ASD. Method: A total of 124 normally intelligent children, half of them girls, 64 with autistic disorder or Asperger’s disorder, and 60 age- and gender-matched typically developing, aged 7 to 12 years, were recruited. Parents completed questionnaires regarding autistic and ADHD symptoms. Results: No gender differences in social difficulties but more repetitive motor movements, communication difficulties, and inattention were reported in males, regardless of group. Younger boys with ASD had more elevated levels of hyperactivity-impulsivity than younger girls with ASD. Conclusion: Gender differences in autistic symptoms and inattention in ASD reflected gender differences in typical children. More pronounced hyperactivity in younger boys with ASD could contribute to higher rates of clinical referral than girls.

Objective: The following comorbid subgroups of ADHD have been proposed: ADHD Only, ADHD + anxiety disorders (ANX), ADHD + oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD), and ADHD + ODD/CD + ANX. The current study examined a subset of these groups. Method: A total of 134 children and adolescents (M age = 9.92; range = 6-17) from a clinic-referred sample (n = 407) were grouped based on a semistructured diagnostic interview: ADHD only (n = 41), ADHD + ANX (n = 31), and ANX Only (n = 62). Results: Findings supported greater parent-reported anxiety symptoms in anxiety groups, and greater parent- and teacher-reported attention problems in ADHD groups. ADHD groups performed worse on a continuous performance test, whereas ADHD + ANX performed worse on working memory than ADHD Only. ADHD + ANX reported more physical anxiety symptoms than ADHD Only. Conclusion: Comorbid anxiety should be considered in ADHD assessment and treatment.