Psychiatric Comorbidity in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective: It is well known that more than half of subjects with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have comorbid psychiatric disorders. There is increasing evidence that psychiatric comorbidity effects the manifestation and severity of symptoms, long-term prognosis, treatment response and quality of life in patients diagnosed with ADHD. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of psychiatric disorders and effects of age, gender and ADHD subtypes on comorbidity in children and adolescents with ADHD. Methods: The study group included 133 children and adolescents who were referred to the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University. All cases were diagnosed as ADHD according to DSM-IV criteria. Comorbid psychopathology was evaluated by using a standardized diagnostic instrument, The Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). Results: Ninety-eight (73.7%) subjects had at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder. The most common comorbid disorders were disruptive behavior disorders and anxiety disorders. There was no effect of gender on psychiatric comorbidity. Conduct disorder, mood disorders and substance abuse were more frequent in adolescents than in children. In ADHD - Combined subtype, disruptive behavior disorders were more prevalent. Conclusion: The results of this study confirm that psychiatric comorbidity in children and adolescents with ADHD is very high as it was demonstrated in previous studies. Evaluation of comorbid psychiatric disorders during assessment of cases with ADHD is important. (Archives of Neuropsychiatry 2012; 49: 114-118)