No abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed disorder in childhood that often persists into adulthood. Although those with ADHD are classified as having a disability, there has historically been little recognition of ADHD in adults, both in terms of diagnosis and service developments. ADHD can cause significant impairments in a number of aspects of a patient's life, including: an inability to function in academic or work environments, problems sustaining relationships, antisocial behaviour and substance misuse. Effective and comprehensive care plans need to be developed for adults with ADHD that reduce the symptoms, or the impact of symptoms.

Purpose This study aims to builds upon the hypothesis that “gang” offenders have greater mental health vulnerabilities than both the offender and the general population. This study aims to determine whether there is a difference between the mental health difficulties experienced by young people who may be committing offenses or who may be non-offenders while exploring the interplay of conduct disorder (CD). Design/methodology/approach Secondary data analysis was conducted of a cross-sectional survey of 449 young people in two secondary schools and the data was compared to the scores on the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). A diagnosis of CD was given to the respondents scoring “abnormal” for conduct on the SDQ and the findings were compared to the total difficulties score of those without a diagnosis of CD. Findings Those committing offenses both alone and within a group setting had significantly higher scores across all domains of the SDQ, indicating the prevalence of inattention and hyperactivity, emotional problems, lower prosocial behaviors and peer problems over other offending groups. The total difficulties scores on the SDQ were significantly higher for the offending groups that had a diagnosis of CD. Originality/value The results suggest that offending patterns are included within the screening for CD subtypes and support the need for further research into tailored interventions that involve multi-agency collaboration. This research offers a new approach to the identification of severe CD with callous and unemotional traits by examining offensive behavior.