Randomised controlled trial of the short-term effects of osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate on symptoms and behavioural outcomes in young male prisoners with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: CIAO-II study.

BACKGROUND: Research has shown that 20-30% of prisoners meet the diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methylphenidate reduces ADHD symptoms, but effects in prisoners are uncertain because of comorbid mental health and substance use disorders. AIMS: To estimate the efficacy of an osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate (OROS-methylphenidate) in reducing ADHD symptoms in young adult prisoners with ADHD. METHOD: We conducted an 8-week parallel-arm, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial of OROS-methylphenidate versus placebo in male prisoners (aged 16-25 years) meeting the DSM-5 criteria for ADHD. Primary outcome was ADHD symptoms at 8 weeks, using the investigator-rated Connors Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS-O). Thirteen secondary outcomes were measured, including emotional dysregulation, mind wandering, violent attitudes, mental health symptoms, and prison officer and educational staff ratings of behaviour and aggression. RESULTS: In the OROS-methylphenidate arm, mean CAARS-O score at 8 weeks was estimated to be reduced by 0.57 points relative to the placebo arm (95% CI -2.41 to 3.56), and non-significant. The responder rate, defined as a 20% reduction in CAARS-O score, was 48.3% for the OROS-methylphenidate arm and 47.9% for the placebo arm. No statistically significant trial arm differences were detected for any of the secondary outcomes. Mean final titrated dose was 53.8 mg in the OROS-methylphenidate arm. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD symptoms did not respond to OROS-methylphenidate in young adult prisoners. The findings do not support routine treatment with OROS-methylphenidate in this population. Further research is needed to evaluate effects of higher average dosing and adherence to treatment, multi-modal treatments and preventative interventions in the community.

Stress and work-related mental illness among working adults with ADHD: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Though many adults with ADHD underperform professionally, are more stressed, and have more days of sickness absence compared to adults without ADHD, few studies have explored the experience of working as an adult with ADHD. This study explores the general experience of working with ADHD, including stress and work-related mental illness. METHODS: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 20 working adults with ADHD. Interview topics included how the ADHD diagnosis and/or symptoms of ADHD may have affected participants on the job, how work may have affected participants' well-being, and the need for support and accommodation. Qualitative content analysis was used to explore verbatim transcripts from the interviews. RESULTS: The analysis yielded three themes that describe some of the challenges of working with ADHD: Working and living with ADHD, Needs, and Special abilities, with a total of eight subcategories. Subcategories were Specific challenges; Relationships and cooperation; Negative consequences; Planning, prioritization, organization, and structure; Support, interventions, accommodations, and aids; Openness, understanding, and acceptance; Strategies; Strengths and qualities. CONCLUSION: Further knowledge about the challenges of working with ADHD is needed in workplaces; where organizational support is lacking, much in terms of accommodations and aids is up to the employee, and the disclosure of diagnoses may be associated with great dilemma.

Prevalence of criminal convictions in Norwegian adult ADHD outpatients and associations with ADHD symptom severity and emotional dysregulation.

OBJECTIVES: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often co-occurs with antisocial behaviour. Several studies have shown high rates of ADHD among prisoners. However, the prevalence of crime among individuals with ADHD is less known. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of lifetime criminal conviction (CC) in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD, and the associations with the severity of ADHD and emotional dysregulation (ED). METHODS: Patients were admitted to a private psychiatric outpatient clinic in Oslo between 2014 and 2018. Of the 656 patients diagnosed with ADHD, 629 (95.9%) agreed to participate in the study. CC was determined based on self-reporting of the lifetime history of criminal behaviour. ADHD was diagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria, and ADHD severity was measured using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS). ED was assessed by the eight-item version of Barkley's Current Behaviour Scale - Self-Report (CBS-SR). RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported CC in this clinical sample was 11.7% among women and 24.5% among men. CC was associated with hyperactive-impulsive severity (p < 0.001) and ED (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of self-reported lifetime criminal conviction was high for both genders. CC was associated with symptom severity of hyperactivity-impulsivity and emotional dysregulation. The findings suggest the need for greater research efforts on the avoidance of criminal activity in people with ADHD and targeted intervention for ADHD treatment and CC prevention.

Psychometric evaluation of the Swedish self-rated 36-item version of WHODAS 2.0 for use in psychiatric populations - using classical test theory.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Swedish version of the self-rated 36-item WHODAS 2.0 in patients from Swedish psychiatric outpatient settings, using classical test theory. METHODS: The 36-item WHODAS 2.0, together with the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), was filled in by a sample of 780 participating psychiatric patients: 512 (65.6%) women, 263 (33.7%) men, and 5 (0.6%) who did not report any sex. RESULTS: The internal consistency, measured by Cronbach's alpha, for the different domains of functioning were between 0.70 and 0.94, and interpreted as good. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed two levels: the first level consisted of a general disability factor, while the second level consisted of the six domains of the scale, respectively. The model had borderline fit. There was a significant correlation between WHODAS 2.0 36-item and SDS (n = 395). The WHODAS 2.0 differed significantly between diagnostic groups. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that the Swedish self-rated 36-item version of WHODAS 2.0, within a psychiatric outpatient population, showed good reliability and convergent validity. We conclude that the self-rated 36-item Swedish version of WHODAS 2.0 can be used for valid interpretations of disability in patients with psychiatric health conditions.

Are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms stable irrespective of recovery from eating disorders? A 1-year follow-up of adult females.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of recovery from eating disorders (ED) at 1-year follow-up on self-reported attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in an unselected group of patients in a specialized ED clinic. METHODS: Four hundred and eight adult females with an ED were assessed with the World Health Organization adult ADHD Self-Report Scale-Screener, and for comorbid psychiatric symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Recovery was registered at follow-up. RESULTS: ADHD symptoms decreased between baseline and follow-up in recovered patients treated for bulimic ED. In not recovered patients, ADHD symptoms were stable. Decreased depressive symptoms were associated to decreased ADHD symptoms at 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Bulimic ED and ADHD are linked together. This link, although not known in every detail, has clinical implications with possible value for bulimic ED patients. Clinical studies exploring implementation of ADHD treatment strategies for Bulimia Nervosa are recommended.

Maternal infection requiring hospitalization during pregnancy and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in offspring: a quasi-experimental family-based study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal infection during pregnancy (IDP) has been associated with increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring. However, infection is associated with social adversity, poor living conditions and other background familial factors. As such, there is a need to rule out whether the observed association between maternal IDP and ADHD might be attributed to such confounding. METHODS: This nationwide population-based cohort study using a family-based, quasi-experimental design included 1,066,956 individuals born in Sweden between 1992 and 2002. Data on maternal IDP (bacterial or viral) requiring hospitalization and ADHD diagnosis in offspring were gathered from Swedish National Registers, with individuals followed up through the end of 2009. Ordinary and stratified Cox regression models were used for estimation of hazard ratios (HRs) and several measured covariates were considered. Cousin- and sibling-comparisons accounted for unmeasured genetic and environmental factors shared by cousins and siblings. RESULTS: In the entire population, maternal IDP was associated with ADHD in offspring (HR = 2.31, 95% CI = 2.04-2.61). This association was attenuated when accounting for measured covariates (HR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.65-2.10). The association was further attenuated when adjusting for unmeasured factors shared between cousins (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.12-2.07). Finally, the association was fully attenuated in sibling comparisons (HR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.76-1.41). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the association between maternal IDP and offspring ADHD is largely due to unmeasured familial confounding. Our results underscore the importance of adjusting for unobserved familial risk factors when exploring risk factors for ADHD.

Are treatment results for eating disorders affected by ADHD symptoms? A one-year follow-up of adult females.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of self-reported Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms on recovery rate at 1-year follow-up in an unselected group of patients in a specialized eating disorder (ED) clinic. METHODS: Four hundred forty-three adult females with an ED were assessed with the ADHD Self-Report Scale for Adults (ASRS-screener), and for demographic variables and ED symptoms. Recovery was registered at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: A high degree of ADHD symptoms at baseline was predictive for nonrecovery of ED at 1-year follow-up in patients with loss of control over eating, bingeing, or purging. The presence of inattentive ADHD symptoms was stronger associated with nonrecovery than hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: A high degree of ADHD symptoms may have a negative impact on recovery in ED. Screening/diagnostic evaluation of ADHD in all loss of control over eating/bingeing/purging ED patients and studies of the effect of implementing ADHD-treatment strategies in this patient group are recommended.

Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among adult eating disorder patients.

BACKGROUND: Very little is known about the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder and even less in other eating disorders. This knowledge gap is of clinical importance since stimulant treatment is proven effective in Binge Eating Disorder and discussed as a treatment possibility for Bulimia Nervosa. The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence and types of self-reported ADHD symptoms in an unselected group of eating disorder patients assessed in a specialized eating disorder clinic. METHODS: In total 1165 adults with an eating disorder were assessed with a battery of standardized instruments, for measuring inter alia ADHD screening, demographic variables, eating disorder symptoms and psychiatric comorbidity. Chi-square tests were used for categorical variables and Kruskal-Wallis tests for continuous variables. RESULTS: Almost one third (31.3 %) of the patients scored above the screening cut off indicating a possible ADHD. The highest prevalence rates (35-37 %) were found in Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa bingeing/purging subtype, while Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified type 1-4 and Binge Eating Disorder patients reported slightly below average (26-31 %), and Anorexia Nervosa restricting subtype patients even lower (18 %). Presence of binge eating, purging, loss of control over eating and non-anorectic BMI were related to results indicating a possible ADHD. Psychiatric comorbidity correlated to ADHD symptoms without explaining the differences between eating disorder diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high frequency of ADHD symptoms in patients with binge eating/purging eating disorders that motivates further studies, particularly concerning the effects of ADHD medication. The finding that the frequency of ADHD symptoms in anorexia nervosa with binge eating/purging is as high as in bulimia nervosa highlights the need also for this group.

Long-Term Treatment Outcome in Adult Male Prisoners With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Three-Year Naturalistic Follow-Up of a 52-Week Methylphenidate Trial.

Despite high rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among adult lawbreakers, particularly the long-term effects of ADHD pharmacotherapy remain unclear, not the least because of ethical challenges with preventing control subjects in randomized controlled trials from receiving medication over prolonged time. We followed up adult male prisoners with ADHD who completed a 5-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial followed by a 47-week open-label extension of osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate in a Swedish high-security prison from 2007 to 2010 (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00482313). Twenty-five trial completers were prospectively followed up clinically 1 year (24/25, 96% participated fully or in part) and 3 years (20/25, 80% participation) after trial regarding ADHD symptoms (observer and self-reports), psychosocial functioning, substance misuse, and criminal reoffending. Methylphenidate-related improvements in ADHD symptoms and psychosocial functioning obtained during the 52-week trial were maintained at 1- and 3-year follow-ups. Specifically, after 3 years, 75% (15/20) of the respondents had been released from prison, and 67% of these (10/15) had employment, usually full time. In contrast, nonmedicated respondents at the 3-year follow-up (5/20) reported more ADHD symptoms, functional impairment, and substance misuse compared with currently medicated respondents (15/20). Further, 40% of the respondents self-reported reoffending, indicating a substantially lower relapse rate than expected (70%-80%).In summary, although these observations need validation from new and larger samples, positive effects were maintained after 4 years of methylphenidate treatment. Most study completers were employed and had no relapse in substance misuse or criminality. These results suggest that motivational support and continued medication are important for improved outcome in adult criminal offenders with ADHD.

Internet delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for adults with ADHD - A randomized controlled trial.

Evidence-based psychological interventions for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are seldom available in clinical settings. Medication is often offered as the sole treatment, with non-optimal effects for a majority of patients. The objective was to compare internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) to an active control treatment of internet-based applied relaxation training (iART), and to treatment as usual only (TAU) in adult outpatients with ADHD. One hundred and four patients, of which 67 % used ADHD medication, were randomized to 12 weeks of iCBT (n = 36), iART (n = 37), or TAU (n = 31). Primary outcome was change in the Adult ADHD Self Report Scale (ASRS) up to 3 (FU3) and 12 months (FU12) after treatment. ASRS improved more for iCBT (p < .01; Cohen's d = 0.42 at post-treatment and 0.67 at FU3) and iART (p < .01; Cohen's d = 0.57 at post-treatment and 0.66 at FU3) than for TAU. The effects sustained over 12 months for iCBT (p < .001) and iART (p < .001). No significant difference was found when comparing iCBT to iART (p = .53). Treatment responders reached 25 % for both treatments, which was superior to the 3 % responders in TAU (p < .05). iCBT and iART could both be promising add-ons to medication and increase availability to psychological treatment with sustained symptom reductions after one year.

Epidemiology, Treatment Patterns, Comorbidities, and Concomitant Medication in Patients with ADHD in Sweden: A Registry-Based Study (2018-2021).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate treatment patterns for ADHD in Sweden. METHOD: Observational retrospective study of patients with ADHD from the Swedish National Patient Register and Prescribed Drug Register, 2018 to 2021. Cross-sectional analyses included incidence, prevalence, and psychiatric comorbidities. Longitudinal analyses (newly diagnosed patients) included medication, treatment lines, duration, time-to-treatment initiation, and switching. RESULTS: Of 243,790 patients, 84.5% received an ADHD medication. Psychiatric comorbidities were common, particularly autism among children, and depression in adults. Most frequent first-/second-line treatments were methylphenidate (MPH; 81.6%) and lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX; 46.0%), respectively. In the second-line, LDX was most frequently prescribed (46.0%), followed by MPH (34.9%), then atomoxetine (7.7%). Median treatment duration was longest for LDX (10.4 months), followed by amphetamine (9.1 months). CONCLUSION: This nationwide registry study provides real-life insights into the current epidemiology of ADHD and the changing treatment landscape for patients in Sweden.

Methylphenidate treatment of adult male prison inmates with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial with open-label extension.

BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly prevalent in prison inmates, but pharmacological treatment has not yet been evaluated in this group. AIMS: To evaluate osmotic-release oral system (OROS) methylphenidate in adult male long-term prison inmates with ADHD. METHOD: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled 5-week trial, followed by 47-week open-label extension in 30 prison inmates with ADHD and comorbid disorders. Primary outcome was level of ADHD symptoms after 5 weeks, evaluated by a masked assessor. Secondary outcomes were self-reported ADHD symptoms, global severity and global functioning throughout the 52-week trial, and post hoc treatment response and numbers needed to treat (NNT) (trial registration: NCT00482313.) RESULTS: Treatment significantly improved ADHD during the trial (P<0.001; Cohen's d = 2.17), with reduced symptom severity and improved global functioning. The placebo response, cardiovascular measures and adverse events were non-significant; the NNT was 1.1. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms, global severity and global functioning continued to improve during the open-label extension. CONCLUSIONS: Osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate is an effective treatment for adult male prison inmates with ADHD.

Long-term functional outcome in adult prison inmates with ADHD receiving OROS-methylphenidate.

In a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we established a robust efficacy (Cohen's d = 2.17) of osmotic release oral system-methylphenidate (OROS-methylphenidate) delivered 72 mg daily for 5 weeks versus placebo on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, global severity and global functioning in 30 adult male prison inmates with ADHD and coexisting disorders. Outcomes continued to improve during the subsequent 47-week open-label extension with OROS-methylphenidate delivered at a flexible daily dosage of up to 1.3 mg/kg body weight. In the present study, we evaluated long-term effectiveness and maintenance of improvement over the cumulated 52-week trial on cognition, motor activity, institutional behaviour and quality of life. Post hoc, we explored the associations between investigators' and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms and between ratings of symptoms and functioning, respectively. Outcomes, calculated by repeated measures ANOVA, improved from baseline until week 16, with maintenance or further improvement until week 52. Both verbal and visuospatial working memory, and abstract verbal reasoning improved significantly over time, as well as several cognition-related measures and motor activity. No substance abuse was detected and a majority of participants took part in psychosocial treatment programmes. The quality of life domains of Learning, and Goals and values improved over time; the latter domain was at open-label endpoint significantly related to improvements in attention. Investigators' and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms, as well as global symptom severity related most significantly to global functioning at week 52. Finally, investigators' and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms associated significantly at baseline with increasing convergence over time.

[The dark side of ADHD - comorbidity with substance use disorder and criminality - an overview]. / Den mörka sidan ­ ADHD vanligt vid substansbruk och kriminalitet.

ADHD frequently co-occurs with substance use disorder (SUD) and is also common in prison populations. Screening and structured diagnosis should therefore be made available to treatment seeking SUD patients as well as to prison inmates. Multimodal, integrated treatment, including appropriate pharmacological and psychosocial therapies, is recommended for both ADHD and SUD. Long-acting stimulants with lower misuse potential are first line treatment for ADHD, with research indicating that somewhat higher stimulant doses could be necessary in this population. Increased frequency of underlying cardiovascular conditions, as well as increased risks for medication misuse in SUD populations, warrant careful treatment monitoring. There is no evidence suggesting that stimulant treatment increases risk for SUD. Given its high prevalence in prison settings, diagnosis of and integrated pharmacological and psychosocial treatment  for ADHD may decrease SUD relapse and criminality in those incarcerated.

Evidence for validity of the Swedish self-rated 36-item version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) in patients with mental disorders: a multi-centre cross-sectional study using Rasch analysis.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) is a generic instrument for the assessment of functioning in six domains, resulting in a total health-related disability score. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Swedish-language version of the self-rated 36-item version in psychiatric outpatients with various common psychiatric diagnoses using Rasch analysis. A secondary aim was to explore the correlation between two methods of calculating overall scores to guide clinical practice: the WHODAS simple (summative) model and the WHODAS complex (weighted) model. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 780 Swedish patients with various mental disorders were evaluated by Rasch analysis according to the partial credit model. Bivariate Pearson correlations between the two methods of calculating overall scores were explored. RESULTS: Of the 36 items, 97% (35 items) were within the recommended range of infit mean square; only item D4.5 (Sexual activities) indicated misfit (infit mean square 1.54 logits). Rating scale analysis showed a short distance between severity levels and disordered thresholds. The two methods of calculating overall scores were highly correlated (0.89-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: The self-administered WHODAS 2.0 fulfilled several aspects of validity according to Rasch analysis and has the potential to be a useful tool for the assessment of functioning in psychiatric outpatients. The internal structure of the instrument was satisfactorily valid and reliable at the level of the total score but demonstrated problems at the domain level. We suggest rephrasing the item Sexual activities and revising the rating scale categories. The WHODAS simple model is easier to use in clinical practice and our results indicate that it can differentiate function among patients with moderate psychiatric disability, whereas Rasch scaled scores are psychometrically more precise even at low disability levels. Further investigations of different scoring models are warranted.

Non-mental diseases associated with ADHD across the lifespan: Fidgety Philipp and Pippi Longstocking at risk of multimorbidity?

Several non-mental diseases seem to be associated with an increased risk of ADHD and ADHD seems to be associated with increased risk for non-mental diseases. The underlying trajectories leading to such brain-body co-occurrences are often unclear - are there direct causal relationships from one disorder to the other, or does the sharing of genetic and/or environmental risk factors lead to their occurring together more frequently or both? Our goal with this narrative review was to provide a conceptual synthesis of the associations between ADHD and non-mental disease across the lifespan. We discuss potential shared pathologic mechanisms, genetic background and treatments in co-occurring diseases. For those co-occurrences for which published studies with sufficient sample sizes exist, meta-analyses have been published by others and we discuss those in detail. We conclude that non-mental diseases are common in ADHD and vice versa and add to the disease burden of the patient across the lifespan. Insufficient attention to such co-occurring conditions may result in missed diagnoses and suboptimal treatment in the affected individuals.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), antisociality and delinquent behavior over the lifespan.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is closely linked to the development of conduct problems during socialization in early life and to an increased risk for antisocial activities and delinquency over the lifespan. The interaction between ADHD and common comorbid disorders like substance use disorders as well as changing environmental conditions could mediate the course of antisocial and delinquent behavior with increasing age. However, this complex interaction is only partially understood so far. This review presents current knowledge about the association of ADHD with antisociality and the development of delinquent behavior. Thereby, the relationships between ADHD, conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder in offenders are discussed, as well as the impact of comorbid psychiatric disorders and psychosocial conditions on offending behavior. Also, treatment studies in offender populations with ADHD are presented. Although our understanding of the role of ADHD in the development of criminal behavior has substantially improved during the last two decades, more research is needed to further elucidate the mechanisms generating unfavorable outcomes and to engender adequate treatment strategies for this population at risk. Moreover, more attention is needed on children with conduct problems in order to avoid antisocial or delinquent behaviors over the lifespan.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among longer-term prison inmates is a prevalent, persistent and disabling disorder.

BACKGROUND: ADHD is a common and disabling disorder, with an increased risk for coexisting disorders, substance abuse and delinquency. In the present study, we aimed at exploring ADHD and criminality. We estimated the prevalence of ADHD among longer-term prison inmates, described symptoms and cognitive functioning, and compared findings with ADHD among psychiatric outpatients and healthy controls. METHODS: At Norrtälje Prison, we approached 315 male inmates for screening of childhood ADHD by the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS-25) and for present ADHD by the Adult ADHD Self-Report Screener (ASRS-Screener). The response rate was 62%. Further, we assessed 34 inmates for ADHD and coexisting disorders. Finally, we compared findings with 20 adult males with ADHD, assessed at a psychiatric outpatient clinic and 18 healthy controls. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of adult ADHD among longer-term inmates was 40%. Only 2 out of 30 prison inmates confirmed with ADHD had received a diagnosis of ADHD during childhood, despite most needed health services and educational support. All subjects reported lifetime substance use disorder (SUD) where amphetamine was the most common drug. Mood and anxiety disorders were present among half of subjects; autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among one fourth and psychopathy among one tenth. Personality disorders were common; almost all inmates presented conduct disorder (CD) before antisocial personality disorder (APD). Prison inmates reported more ADHD symptoms during both childhood and adulthood, compared with ADHD psychiatric outpatients. Further, analysis of executive functions after controlling for IQ showed both ADHD groups performed poorer than controls on working memory tests. Besides, on a continuous performance test, the ADHD prison group displayed poorer results compared with both other groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested ADHD to be present among 40% of adult male longer-term prison inmates. Further, ADHD and coexisting disorders, such as SUD, ASD, personality disorders, mood- and anxiety disorders, severely affected prison inmates with ADHD. Besides, inmates showed poorer executive functions also when controlling for estimated IQ compared with ADHD among psychiatric outpatients and controls. Our findings imply the need for considering these severities when designing treatment programmes for prison inmates with ADHD.

European consensus statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD: The European Network Adult ADHD.

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most common psychiatric disorders of childhood that persists into adulthood in the majority of cases. The evidence on persistence poses several difficulties for adult psychiatry considering the lack of expertise for diagnostic assessment, limited treatment options and patient facilities across Europe. METHODS: The European Network Adult ADHD, founded in 2003, aims to increase awareness of this disorder and improve knowledge and patient care for adults with ADHD across Europe. This Consensus Statement is one of the actions taken by the European Network Adult ADHD in order to support the clinician with research evidence and clinical experience from 18 European countries in which ADHD in adults is recognised and treated. RESULTS: Besides information on the genetics and neurobiology of ADHD, three major questions are addressed in this statement: (1) What is the clinical picture of ADHD in adults? (2) How can ADHD in adults be properly diagnosed? (3) How should ADHD in adults be effectively treated? CONCLUSIONS: ADHD often presents as an impairing lifelong condition in adults, yet it is currently underdiagnosed and treated in many European countries, leading to ineffective treatment and higher costs of illness. Expertise in diagnostic assessment and treatment of ADHD in adults must increase in psychiatry. Instruments for screening and diagnosis of ADHD in adults are available and appropriate treatments exist, although more research is needed in this age group.

Group Treatment for Adults With ADHD Based on a Novel Combination of Cognitive and Dialectical Behavior Interventions: A Feasibility Study.

Objectives: To evaluate feasibility and preliminary effects of a new group treatment manual for adults with ADHD and to explore adherence to treatment and its relation to outcome. Method: Eighteen adults with ADHD recruited from neuropsychiatric units in Stockholm underwent a 14-week program including combined cognitive and dialectical behavior therapy. Assessments were made at baseline, posttreatment, and follow-up, at one and six months after treatment end. Primary outcome measure was the Adult ADHD Self Report Scale version 1.1. Results/Conclusion: ADHD symptoms significantly decreased (d = 1.29) and remained stable for 6 months. Measures of depression, perceived stress, and anxiety were also significantly reduced. Attendance and patient satisfaction was high. Use, comprehension, and perceived benefit of treatment components varied from medium to high. Total use of treatment components was, in general, positively correlated with favorable outcome. The current combination of treatment components may be a valuable addition to available treatments in psychiatric care.