ADHD “Symptomatic contamination” in dual pathology (I): general analysis of the “Sym_Con” sample

Abstract

Introduction

The links between ADHD and SUD are demonstrated in the scientific literature. The existence of dual diagnosis affects both prognosis and clinical-therapeutic assessment.

Objective and aims

Describe the general characteristics of a sample of patients with SUD (n = 162) who seek treatment for their addiction, based on the presence of symptomatic contamination by ADHD, compared to a sample of adults (n = 246) without addictive pathology (parents of children with different risk for ADHD).

Methods

We assessed using different scales the properties of the sample (visual analogical [general state of health, sadness, anxiety, irritability, suspiciousness], WURS, BDI and Exploratory List of ADHD symptoms).

Results

The average age in the group of parents was 40.59 versus 35.88 on the SUD group, with 42% and 87% males respectively. SUD group presented worse general state, with higher average of sadness, anxiety, irritability and suspicioness, as well as WURS and exploratory symptoms of ADHD, as shown in Fig. 1 and 2.

Conclusions

The SUD group had higher ADHD symptomatic contamination respect to Parents group. These results are preliminary and are pending more thorough analysis as part of a more extensive and complex study, requiring further confirmation in future studies.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Fig. 1 Informe.

Fig. 2 Anova de un factor.