NCJ Number
173193
Journal
American Journal on Addictions Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 1998 Pages: 156-163
Date Published
1998
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effects of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and psychiatric comorbidity on recovery from psychoactive substance use disorder (PSUD).
Abstract
The study sample consisted of 130 referred adults with ADHD and 71 non-ADHD adults, all of whom had a lifetime history of PSUD. The study hypothesized that ADHD would be associated with lower rates of PSUD remission than found in non-ADHD adults with PSUD, and that this would be particularly so in cases with comorbid conduct or bipolar disorders. For each substance use and psychiatric disorder, subjects were queried as to the onset and offset of the syndromatic picture of the disorder. Accordingly, the researchers were able to determine the age at onset and offset as well as calculate the duration of each disorder. Although PSUD remitted in 80 percent of both groups, the rate of remission and duration of PSUD was quite different in the ADHD compared with the non-ADHD subjects. The duration of PSUD was 37.2 months longer in the ADHD than in non-ADHD subjects. The median time to PSUD remission was more than twice as long in ADHD than in control subjects (144 compared to 60 months, respectively). ADHD was associated with a longer duration of PSUD and a significantly slower remission rate. If confirmed, such findings extend previous work that show ADHD to be a risk factor for early initiation and specific pathways of PSUD, providing further evidence of the relevance of this association. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 37 references