ADHD symptom profiles, intermittent explosive disorder, adverse childhood experiences, and internalizing/externalizing problems in young offenders

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and co-existing psychiatric/psychological impairments as well as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common among young offenders. Research on their associations is of major importance for early intervention and crime prevention. Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) warrants specific consideration in this regard. To gain sophisticated insights into the occurrence and associations of ADHD, IED, ACEs, and further psychiatric/psychological impairments in young (male and female) offenders, we used latent profile analysis (LPA) to empirically derive subtypes among 156 young offenders who were at an early stage of crime development based on their self-reported ADHD symptoms, and combined those with the presence of IED. We found four distinct ADHD subtypes that differed rather quantitatively than qualitatively (very low, low, moderate, and severe symptomatology). Additional IED, ACEs, and further internalizing and externalizing problems were found most frequently in the severe ADHD subtype. Furthermore, females were over-represented in the severe ADHD subtype. Finally, ACEs predicted high ADHD symptomatology with co-existing IED, but not without IED. Because ACEs were positively associated with the occurrence of ADHD/IED and ADHD is one important risk factor for on-going criminal behaviors, our findings highlight the need for early identification of ACEs and ADHD/IED in young offenders to identify those adolescents who are at increased risk for long-lasting criminal careers. Furthermore, they contribute to the debate about how to best conceptualize ADHD regarding further emotional and behavioral disturbances.

The predictive and incremental validity of ADHD beyond the VRAG-R in a high-risk sample of young offenders

“…In the present study, ADHD symptoms showed a small significant incremental predictive validity regarding general recidivism, even though there is considerable overlap between some risk factors included in the VRAG-R, such as elementary school maladjustment and conduct disorder, and impairments caused by ADHD symptomology. However, the small effect size regarding the incremental predictive validity of ADHD beyond the VRAG-R assessments fits findings of previous studies insofar as it does not seem to be ADHD alone which predicts recidivism, but rather the junctions of ADHD and conduct problems (e.g., [39]) and the association of ADHD and further externalizing psychopathology like emotion regulation or intermittent explosive disorder (e.g., [7]).…”

“…Beyond common risk factors included in risk-assessment instruments in young offenders, such as offending history, substance abuse, family problems, peer delinquency, and school-related problems (e.g., [ 23 , 25 , 47 , 52 ]), externalizing psychiatric impairments have also been associated with juvenile delinquency in general and with an increased risk for criminal recidivism [ 1 , 2 , 26 , 49 , 51 ]. There is growing evidence that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is of special importance concerning delinquency in adolescents and young adults as along with associated constructs such as intermittent explosive disorder (IED), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) [ 7 , 39 ].…”

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Personality, and Crime: Distinct Associations among a High-Risk Sample of Institutionalized Youth

“…In recent years, research has tried to take the co-occurrence of ACEs among high-risk youth samples into account not only by creating cumulative ACE scores, but also by implementing person-centered approaches such as Latent Class Analysis (LCA) (e.g., [4,33]). Others have investigated patterns of criminal behaviors by LCA or profiles of psychiatric disturbances among delinquent youth by Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) and examined their relations to cumulative ACEs [34,35]. Moreover, a growing number of studies has analyzed specific personality profiles using LPA in samples of justice-involved youth based on rather general personality traits [36] or psychopathy [37].…”

Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung in ICD 10, ICD 11 und DSM 5: Welche Bedeutung haben unterschiedlichen Kriterien für Diagnostik und gutachtliche Praxis

“…Sie treten deutlich häufiger auf als in der Allgemeinbevölkerung 24 . Darüber hinaus weisen Studien auf erhöhte Raten von Missbrauchs- und Vernachlässigungserfahrungen in Straftäterpopulationen im Vergleich zu nicht straffällig gewordenen Menschen hin, welche auch im Hinblick auf eine zukünftige Delinquenz prädiktiven Charakter hatten 25 . Diese allgemeinen empirischen Kenntnisse entbinden den Gutachter jedoch nicht von der individuellen Beurteilung jedes Falles.…”