Relationship of attention‐deficit–hyperactivity disorder symptoms, depressive/anxiety symptoms, and life quality in young men

Abstract

Aim: Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continues to be among the most frequently missed of psychiatric diagnoses in adults because its presentation in adulthood so often mimics those of better-known disorders. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between ADHD symptoms, depression/anxiety symptoms, and life quality in young men.Methods: Nine hundred and twenty-nine draftees into the Taiwanese army completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), the World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life-Brief Version, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the second edition of the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Scale. Based on high ASRS scores, a total of 328 adults (35.3%) were identified as having ADHD: 65 (7.0%) with definite ADHD and 263 (28.3%) with probable ADHD. Results:The 328 subjects in the ADHD group had more severe depressive, anxiety symptoms and daytime sleepiness, and had poorer quality of life than the 601 controls (all P < 0.05).Conclusions: ADHD should be included in the differential diagnosis for young men presenting with anxiety, depression, daytime sleepiness, and poor quality of life.Key words: anxiety, attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder, depression, quality of life.A TTENTION-DEFICIT-HYPERACTIVITY DISOR-DER (ADHD), which affects between 3% and 10% of the school-age population 1 and 4% of the general population, 2 is a major risk factor for many types of comorbid psychopathology.2-5 Thirty-three percent of childhood patients retain the full ADHD diagnosis into adulthood, and 66% have a partial ADHD diagnosis with moderate persistence of the symptoms of impairment. 3Disorders that co-occur with ADHD have spawned an extensive body of literature. 2,[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] In addition, ADHD itself continues to be mistaken for other disorders, 3 especially in adults. ADHD is often accompanied by characteristics not explicitly associated with the current criteria for ADHD as specified in DSM-IV. Although DSM-IV notes that approximately half of all clinic-referred children with ADHD also have oppositional-defiant or conduct disorders (ODD/CD) and also mentions its frequent association with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, learning disorders, and communication disorders, it does not comprehensively describe the clinical presentation of these cases. As a result, most physicians are left to sort out an often bewilderingly complex array of

Low quality of life scores in school children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder related to anxiety

“…The subjects in the ADHD group had more severe depressive, anxiety symptoms and daytime sleepiness, and had poorer QoL than the 601 controls. The authors concluded that ADHD should be included in the differential diagnosis for young males presenting with anxiety, depression, daytime sleepiness, and poor QoL 17 . Comparison among studies is difficult because of differences in the tests applied to study QoL and anxiety, and in age at time of study, but, overall, these data are in agreement with our results in showing a close relationship between poor QoL related with anxiety and depression.…”

After-effects of hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) in prospective longitudinal (12 years) study

“…The symptoms of HKD, as the studies indicate, do not subside [20,21], but can be 'hidden' in another psychopathology of adulthood. Signs of core domains in the attention deficit and impulsivity are present in varying degree in the psychopathology of adults [15,22]. In the study group, the percentage of 19-year-old people with externalizing disorders complying with the CD criteria according to ICD-10 was 37%.…”

“…The persisting repetitive patterns of antisocial behaviours meeting the criteria for conduct disorder in ICD-10 or DSM-IV/V are also the adverse consequence of ADHD [7,9,12,13]. On the other hand, high incidence of affective disorders and anxiety disorders was found in adolescent and adult patients with ADHD diagnosed in childhood [14][15][16][17]. The phenotype of HKD in childhood seems important for both internalizing and externalizing disorders in adults.…”

Brain-behavior patterns define a dimensional biotype in medication-naïve adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…The internal consistency (Cronbach's α ) was high for the Inattention subscale (0.87), the Hyperactivity-Impulsivity subscale (0.85), and the total score (0.91). It has been used in studies on adult ADHD and sleep problems, anxiety/depression symptoms, and quality of life in Taiwan (Gau et al, 2007;Chao et al, 2008).…”