Risk Factors for Borderline Personality Disorder in Treatment Seeking Patients with a Substance Use Disorder: An International Multicenter Study.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) often co-occur, partly because they share risk factors. In this international multicenter study, risk factors for BPD were examined for SUD patients. In total, 1,205 patients were comprehensively examined by standardized interviews and questionnaires on psychiatric diagnosis and risk factors, and it was found that 1,033 (85.7%) had SUDs without BPD (SUD) and 172 (14.3%) had SUD with BPD (SUD + BPD). SUD + BPD patients were significantly younger, more often females and more often diagnosed with comorbid adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. SUD + BPD patients did not differ from SUD patients on most risk factors typical for SUD such as maternal use of drugs during pregnancy or parents having any SUD. However, SUD + BPD patients did have a higher risk of having experienced emotional and physical abuse, neglect, or family violence in childhood compared to SUD patients, suggesting that child abuse and family violence are BPD-specific risk factors in patients with SUDs.

Investigating the efficacy of integrated cognitive behavioral therapy for adult treatment seeking substance use disorder patients with comorbid ADHD: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently co-occurs with substance use disorders (SUD). The combination of ADHD and SUD is associated with a negative prognosis of both SUD and ADHD. Pharmacological treatments of comorbid ADHD in adult patients with SUD have not been very successful. Recent studies show positive effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in ADHD patients without SUD, but CBT has not been studied in ADHD patients with comorbid SUD. METHODS/DESIGN: This paper presents the protocol of a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of an integrated CBT protocol aimed at reducing SUD as well as ADHD symptoms in SUD patients with a comorbid diagnosis of ADHD. The experimental group receives 15 CBT sessions directed at symptom reduction of SUD as well as ADHD. The control group receives treatment as usual, i.e. 10 CBT sessions directed at symptom reduction of SUD only. The primary outcome is the level of self-reported ADHD symptoms. Secondary outcomes include measures of substance use, depression and anxiety, quality of life, health care consumption and neuropsychological functions. DISCUSSION: This is the first randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of an integrated CBT protocol for adult SUD patients with a comorbid diagnosis of ADHD. The rationale for the trial, the design, and the strengths and limitations of the study are discussed.

Validity of the ADHD module of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview PLUS for screening of adult ADHD in treatment seeking substance use disorder patients: ADHD screening with MINI-Plus.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the validity of the ADHD module of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-Plus) in patients with substance use disorders (SUD), using the Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID) as the external criterion. METHOD: A cross sectional international multi-center study in 10 countries was conducted in treatment seeking SUD patients. A sample of 1263 patients with both MINI-Plus and CAADID was analyzed to determine the psychometric properties of the MINI-Plus. RESULTS: According to the CAADID, 179 patients (14.2%) met criteria for adult ADHD, whereas according to the MINI-Plus 227 patients (18.0%) were identified as having adult ADHD. Sensitivity of the MINI-Plus ADHD module was 74%, specificity was 91%, positive predictive value was 60% and negative predictive value was 96%. Kappa was 0.60. CONCLUSION: The MINI-Plus has acceptable criterion validity for the screening of adult ADHD in treatment seeking SUD patients. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: On the basis of the results, The MINI-Plus may be used for the screening of ADHD in SUD patients.

Prediction of drop-out and outcome in integrated cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD and SUD: Results from a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with substance use disorder (SUD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a high risk of drop out from treatment. Few studies have investigated predictors of therapy drop out and outcome in SUD patients with comorbid ADHD. Recently, integrated cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT/Integrated) was shown to be more effective than standard CBT (CBT/SUD) in the treatment of SUD + ADHD. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of demographic, clinical and neurocognitive variables with drop-out and treatment outcome, and to examine which of these variables are suitable for patient-treatment matching. METHODS: We performed an RCT in which 119 patients were allocated to CBT/Integrated (n = 60) or CBT/SUD (n = 59). In addition, 55 patients had dropped out before randomization. Demographic variables, clinical characteristics and measures of cognitive functioning (Stroop, Tower of London (ToL) and Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART)) were included as predictors. Outcome measures were: early treatment drop-out, ADHD symptom severity, and substance use severity at end of treatment and follow up. RESULTS: Primary substance of abuse (drugs as opposed to alcohol only) and lower accuracy scores on the ToL were significant predictors of early treatment drop-out. Having more depression and anxiety symptoms and using ADHD medication at baseline significantly predicted more ADHD symptoms at end of treatment, and higher accuracy scores on the ToL significantly predicted higher substance use at end of treatment. No significant predictor-by-treatment interactions were found. CONCLUSION: The results add to the existing realization that also relatively mild cognitive deficits are a risk factor for treatment drop-out in these patients.

Integrated cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD in adult substance use disorder patients: Results of a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) frequently co-occurs with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). Standard ADHD pharmacotherapies are not effective in patients with this comorbidity and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has not been tested in this population. This RCT aimed to compare the efficacy of Integrated CBT (CBT/Integrated) directed at adult ADHD and SUD with CBT directed at SUD only (CBT/SUD) in patients with SUD and ADHD (SUD + ADHD). METHODS: Randomized clinical trial among 119 SUD + ADHD patients in a SUD treatment center. CBT/Integrated consisted of 15 individual sessions of motivational therapy, coping skills training and relapse prevention for SUD, and training of planning skills, problem-solving skills and dealing with emotions for ADHD. CBT/SUD consisted of 10 individual SUD treatment sessions only. Primary outcome was ADHD symptom severity according to the ADHD rating scale (ARS) at post-treatment. Secondary outcomes included ADHD symptom severity after two-month follow-up, and treatment response (≥30% ADHD symptom reduction), substance use, depressive or anxiety symptoms, and quality of life at post-treatment and follow-up. RESULTS: CBT/Integrated was more effective than CBT/SUD in the reduction of ADHD symptoms post-treatment: ARS = 28.1 (SD 9.0) vs. 31.5 (SD 11.4) (F = 4.739, df = 1, 282, p = .030; d = 0.34). At follow-up, CBT/Integrated still resulted in lower ARS scores than CBT/SUD, but the difference was not significant at the 0.05 level. For other secondary outcomes, including substance use, no significant between-group differences were present. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to regular SUD cognitive behavioral therapy, integrated cognitive behavioral therapy resulted in a significant extra improvement in ADHD symptoms in SUD + ADHD patients.

Persistence and Subtype Stability of ADHD Among Substance Use Disorder Treatment Seekers.

Objective: To examine ADHD symptom persistence and subtype stability among substance use disorder (SUD) treatment seekers. Method: In all, 1,276 adult SUD treatment seekers were assessed for childhood and adult ADHD using Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; CAADID). A total of 290 (22.7%) participants met CAADID criteria for childhood ADHD and comprise the current study sample. Results: Childhood ADHD persisted into adulthood in 72.8% (n = 211) of cases. ADHD persistence was significantly associated with a family history of ADHD, and the presence of conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder. The combined subtype was the most stable into adulthood (78.6%) and this stability was significantly associated with conduct disorder and past treatment of ADHD. Conclusion: ADHD is highly prevalent and persistent among SUD treatment seekers and is associated with the more severe phenotype that is also less likely to remit. Routine screening and follow-up assessment for ADHD is indicated to enhance treatment management and outcomes.

Diagnosing ADHD during active substance use: Feasible or flawed?

BACKGROUND: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is highly prevalent in patients with a substance use disorder (SUD). Because of possible problems with validity, diagnostic assessment of ADHD is usually postponed until after a period of abstinence, which may jeopardize adequate and timely treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate how a diagnostic assessment of ADHD in patients who are actively using substances compares to the results of a second assessment after a period of full or partial abstinence. METHODS: Prospective test-retest study in a SUD treatment center among 127 treatment seeking adult SUD patients with a comorbid diagnosis of adult ADHD. Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV was administered at intake and after four SUD treatment sessions. RESULTS: The mean time interval between intake and retest assessment was 78days (SD=32; range 31-248). At the second ADHD assessment, substance use had decreased to about 50% of baseline consumption. Of the 127 patients with an initial diagnosis of ADHD, 121 patients (95.3%) still fulfilled DSM-IV adult ADHD criteria at re-diagnosis. Subtyping of ADHD was less stable (Cohen's Kappa=0.53). Agreement on the number of childhood and adult ADHD symptoms between both assessments was good (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.69 and 0.65, respectively). Sensitivity analyses in subgroups of patients who were fully abstinent during the second assessment yielded very similar results. CONCLUSIONS: These findings strongly suggest that a pragmatic approach, in which patients are evaluated for ADHD even when they are not (yet) abstinent, is feasible and justifiable.

Integrated cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with substance use disorder and comorbid ADHD: two case presentations.

Two cases of integrated cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) for substance use disorder (SUD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are presented illustrating that ICBT is a promising new treatment option.

Early developmental, temperamental and educational problems in 'substance use disorder' patients with and without ADHD. Does ADHD make a difference?

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of ADHD among patients with substance use disorder (SUD) is substantial. This study addressed the following research questions: Are early developmental, temperamental and educational problems overrepresented among SUD patients with ADHD compared to SUD patients without ADHD? Do this comorbid group receive early help for their ADHD, and are there signs of self-medicating with illicit central stimulants? METHOD: An international, multi-centre cross-sectional study was carried out involving seven European countries, with 1205 patients in treatment for SUD. The mean age was 40 years and 27% of the sample was female. All participants were interviewed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus and the Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV. RESULTS: SUD patients with ADHD (n = 196; 16.3% of the total sample) had a significantly slower infant development than SUD patients without ADHD (n = 1,009; 83.4%), had greater problems controlling their temperament, and had lower educational attainment. Only 24 (12%) of the current ADHD positive patients had been diagnosed and treated during childhood and/or adolescence. Finally, SUD patients with ADHD were more likely to have central stimulants or cannabis as their primary substance of abuse, whereas alcohol use was more likely to be the primary substance of abuse in SUD patients without ADHD. CONCLUSION: The results emphasize the importance of early identification of ADHD and targeted interventions in the health and school system, as well as in the addiction field.

The obsessive compulsive spectrum in schizophrenia, a meta-analysis and meta-regression exploring prevalence rates.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to conduct a meta-analysis and meta-regression to estimate the prevalence rates for obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in schizophrenia, and to investigate what influences these prevalence rates. METHOD: Studies were identified via an online OVID database search, including PsychInfo, Embase and Medline until December 2009. RESULTS: Forty-three studies summarizing outcomes for 3978 subjects met inclusion criteria. The mean OCD prevalence is 12.3%, slightly increasing to 13.6% after adjustment in meta-regression. The prevalence rate of OCS, defined as any obsession or compulsion is 30.7% (30.3% adjusted). Higher severity of OCS, DIGS assessment, and Sub-Saharan African origin of study are associated with a lower OCS/OCD prevalence rate, use of DSM-IV edition, Y-BOCS assessment and longer schizophrenia history are associated with a higher prevalence rate. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of OCS and OCD in schizophrenia is substantial, specifically in more chronic patient populations and is influenced by the method of assessment.

Psychiatric comorbidity in treatment-seeking substance use disorder patients with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: results of the IASP study.

AIMS: To determine comorbidity patterns in treatment-seeking substance use disorder (SUD) patients with and without adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with an emphasis on subgroups defined by ADHD subtype, taking into account differences related to gender and primary substance of abuse. DESIGN: Data were obtained from the cross-sectional International ADHD in Substance use disorder Prevalence (IASP) study. SETTING: Forty-seven centres of SUD treatment in 10 countries. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1205 treatment-seeking SUD patients. MEASUREMENTS: Structured diagnostic assessments were used for all disorders: presence of ADHD was assessed with the Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID), the presence of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), major depression (MD) and (hypo)manic episode (HME) was assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus (MINI Plus), and the presence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) was assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II (SCID II). FINDINGS: The prevalence of DSM-IV adult ADHD in this SUD sample was 13.9%. ASPD [odds ratio (OR) = 2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.8-4.2], BPD (OR = 7.0, 95% CI = 3.1-15.6 for alcohol; OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.8-6.4 for drugs), MD in patients with alcohol as primary substance of abuse (OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 2.1-7.8) and HME (OR = 4.3, 95% CI = 2.1-8.7) were all more prevalent in ADHD(+) compared with ADHD(-) patients (P < 0.001). These results also indicate increased levels of BPD and MD for alcohol compared with drugs as primary substance of abuse. Comorbidity patterns differed between ADHD subtypes with increased MD in the inattentive and combined subtype (P < 0.01), increased HME and ASPD in the hyperactive/impulsive (P < 0.01) and combined subtypes (P < 0.001) and increased BPD in all subtypes (P < 0.001) compared with SUD patients without ADHD. Seventy-five per cent of ADHD patients had at least one additional comorbid disorder compared with 37% of SUD patients without ADHD. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment-seeking substance use disorder patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are at a very high risk for additional externalizing disorders.

Variability in the prevalence of adult ADHD in treatment seeking substance use disorder patients: results from an international multi-center study exploring DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria.

BACKGROUND: Available studies vary in their estimated prevalence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in substance use disorder (SUD) patients, ranging from 2 to 83%. A better understanding of the possible reasons for this variability and the effect of the change from DSM-IV to DSM-5 is needed. METHODS: A two stage international multi-center, cross-sectional study in 10 countries, among patients form inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment centers for alcohol and/or drug use disorder patients. A total of 3558 treatment seeking SUD patients were screened for adult ADHD. A subsample of 1276 subjects, both screen positive and screen negative patients, participated in a structured diagnostic interview. RESULTS: Prevalence of DSM-IV and DSM-5 adult ADHD varied for DSM-IV from 5.4% (CI 95%: 2.4-8.3) for Hungary to 31.3% (CI 95%:25.2-37.5) for Norway and for DSM-5 from 7.6% (CI 95%: 4.1-11.1) for Hungary to 32.6% (CI 95%: 26.4-38.8) for Norway. Using the same assessment procedures in all countries and centers resulted in substantial reduction of the variability in the prevalence of adult ADHD reported in previous studies among SUD patients (2-83%→5.4-31.3%). The remaining variability was partly explained by primary substance of abuse and by country (Nordic versus non-Nordic countries). Prevalence estimates for DSM-5 were slightly higher than for DSM-IV. CONCLUSIONS: Given the generally high prevalence of adult ADHD, all treatment seeking SUD patients should be screened and, after a confirmed diagnosis, treated for ADHD since the literature indicates poor prognoses of SUD in treatment seeking SUD patients with ADHD.

Impulsivity in adult ADHD patients with and without cocaine dependence.

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is present in about a quarter of patients with a substance use disorder (SUD) and impulsivity is a key feature of both disorders. However, very little is known about differences in impulse control and other cognitive functions between ADHD patients with and without SUD. METHODS: In adult male medication-naïve ADHD patients with and without comorbid cocaine dependence and healthy controls (matched on gender, age and IQ), we measured motor impulsivity (stop signal task), cognitive impulsivity (delay discounting task), divided attention (trail making test), interference (Stroop task), working memory (n-back task), and time reproduction (time reproduction task). Additionally, self-reported ADHD symptoms (using the ADHD Symptom Rating Scale; ASRS) and self-reported impulsivity (Barratt Impulsivity Scale; BIS) were assessed. RESULTS: Significantly higher levels of motor and cognitive impulsivity were found in ADHD patients with comorbid cocaine dependence compared to ADHD patients without cocaine dependence and controls, and both measures of impulsivity were highly correlated. No significant group differences were found on other cognitive measures. With regard to the self-report measures, only BIS attention subscores differed significantly between ADHD patients with and without cocaine dependence. ASRS and BIS scores were not significantly correlated. CONCLUSION: This is the first study showing that ADHD patients with cocaine dependence are a distinctly more impulsive subpopulation compared to ADHD patients without cocaine dependence on objective measures of impulsivity. These findings are relevant to optimize psycho-education and treatment of ADHD patients with comorbid SUD.

Low dopamine transporter occupancy by methylphenidate as a possible reason for reduced treatment effectiveness in ADHD patients with cocaine dependence.

Methylphenidate (MPH) occupies brain striatal dopamine transporters (DATs) and is an effective treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, patients with ADHD and comorbid cocaine dependence do not benefit significantly from treatment with MPH. To better understand the neurobiology of this phenomenon, we examined DAT availability and the effects of MPH treatment on DAT occupancy in ADHD patients with and without cocaine dependence. ADHD patients without a comorbid substance use disorder (N=16) and ADHD patients with comorbid cocaine dependence (N=8) were imaged at baseline and after two weeks MPH treatment using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with the DAT tracer [(123)I]FP-CIT. Changes in ADHD symptoms were measured with the ADHD symptom rating scale (ASRS). At baseline, we observed lower striatal DAT availability in ADHD patients with cocaine dependence. Following fixed MPH treatment, MPH occupied significantly less striatal DATs in cocaine-dependent than in non-cocaine dependent ADHD patients. There were no significant correlations between baseline DAT availability or DAT occupancy by MPH and ADHD symptom improvement. However, we did find significant correlations between DAT occupancy by MPH and decreases in impulsivity scores and years of cocaine use. These preliminary findings suggest that low DAT occupancy is not the reason why ADHD patients with cocaine dependence do not benefit from MPH treatment. It also suggests that higher dosages of MPH in these patients are probably not the solution and that medications directed at other pharmacological targets should be considered in these comorbid ADHD patients. This trial is registered at the Dutch Trial Register, www.trialregister.nl, under Trial ID number NTR3127.

Validity of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) as a screener for adult ADHD in treatment seeking substance use disorder patients.

BACKGROUND: To detect attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in treatment seeking substance use disorders (SUD) patients, a valid screening instrument is needed. OBJECTIVES: To test the performance of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale V 1.1(ASRS) for adult ADHD in an international sample of treatment seeking SUD patients for DSM-IV-TR; for the proposed DSM-5 criteria; in different subpopulations, at intake and 1-2 weeks after intake; using different scoring algorithms; and different externalizing disorders as external criterion (including adult ADHD, bipolar disorder, antisocial and borderline personality disorder). METHODS: In 1138 treatment seeking SUD subjects, ASRS performance was determined using diagnoses based on Conner's Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID) as gold standard. RESULTS: The prevalence of adult ADHD was 13.0% (95% CI: 11.0-15.0%). The overall positive predictive value (PPV) of the ASRS was 0.26 (95% CI: 0.22-0.30), the negative predictive value (NPV) was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.96-0.98). The sensitivity (0.84, 95% CI: 0.76-0.88) and specificity (0.66, 95% CI: 0.63-0.69) measured at admission were similar to the sensitivity (0.88, 95% CI: 0.83-0.93) and specificity (0.67, 95% CI: 0.64-0.70) measured 2 weeks after admission. Sensitivity was similar, but specificity was significantly better in patients with alcohol compared to (illicit) drugs as the primary substance of abuse (0.76 vs. 0.56). ASRS was not a good screener for externalizing disorders other than ADHD. CONCLUSIONS: The ASRS is a sensitive screener for identifying possible ADHD cases with very few missed cases among those screening negative in this population.

The International ADHD in Substance Use Disorders Prevalence (IASP) study: background, methods and study population.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an increasingly recognized comorbid condition in subjects with substance use disorders (SUDs). This paper describes the methods and study population of the International ADHD in Substance Use Disorders Prevalence (IASP) study. Objectives of the IASP are to determine the prevalence of ADHD in adult treatment seeking patients with SUD in different countries and SUD populations, determine the reliability and validity of the Adult ADHD Self-report Scale V 1.1 (ASRS) as ADHD screening instrument in SUD populations, investigate the comorbidity profile of SUD patients with and without ADHD, compare risk factors and protective factors in SUD patients with and without a comorbid diagnosis of ADHD, and increase our knowledge about the relationship between ADHD and the onset and course of SUD. In this cross-sectional, multi-centre two stage study, subjects were screened for ADHD with the ASRS, diagnosed with the Conner's Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID), and evaluated for SUD, major depression, bipolar disorder, anti social personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. Three thousand five hundred and fifty-eight subjects from 10 countries were included. Of these 40.9% screened positive for ADHD. This is the largest international study on this population evaluating ADHD and comorbid disorders.

Prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in substance use disorder patients: a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis.

CONTEXT: Substance use disorders (SUD) are a major public health problem. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a comorbid condition associated with both onset and prognosis of SUD. Prevalence estimates of ADHD in SUD vary significantly. OBJECTIVE: To obtain a best estimate of the prevalence of ADHD in SUD populations. DATA SOURCES: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE. Search terms were ADHD, substance-related disorders, addiction, drug abuse, drug dependence, alcohol abuse, alcoholism, comorbidity, and prevalence. Results were limited to the English language. STUDY SELECTION: After assessing the quality of the retrieved studies, 29 studies were selected. Studies in which nicotine was the primary drug of abuse were not included. DATA EXTRACTION: All relevant data were extracted and analysed in a meta-analysis. A series of meta-regression analyses was performed to evaluate the effect of age, primary substance of abuse, setting and assessment procedure on the prevalence of ADHD in a variety of SUD populations. DATA SYNTHESIS: Overall, 23.1% (CI: 19.4-27.2%) of all SUD subjects met DSM-criteria for comorbid ADHD. Cocaine dependence was associated with lower ADHD prevalence than alcohol dependence, opioid dependence and other addictions. Studies using the DICA or the SADS-L for the diagnosis of ADHD showed significantly higher comorbidity rates than studies using the KSADS, DISC, DIS or other assessment instruments. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD is present in almost one out of every four patients with SUD. The prevalence estimate is dependent on substance of abuse and assessment instrument.