Objectives This study aimed to explore significant childhood ADHD symptomatology, psychiatric comorbidity, rates of Substance Use Disorders (SUD), as well as their association with high-risk health behaviors and adverse health outcomes in prison. Method A randomly selected representative sample of inmates in the Puerto Rico correctional system (n = 1,179) were assessed with the Spanish language Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), the CIDI modules for lifetime/current MDD, GAD and SUD, the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS, PTSD), and self-reports of in-site high risk behaviors. Results Wald χ2 tests revealed significant associations of ADHD with MDD, GAD and PTSD, as well as increased risk for overdosing and IV drug use in prison. A Logistic Regression model adjusted for mood and anxiety comorbidity predicted lifetime SUD diagnosis (OR 2.38; CI 1.15–4.94). Discussion Our results provide evidence on the extent of the association of drug dependence and ADHD symptoms, and their over-representation among prison inmates.

Purpose An emerging body of work suggests a link between childhood maltreatment and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, research examining the role of maltreatment in the early course of the disorder lacks robust evidence from longitudinal studies. Our aim was to examine concurrent and prospective associations between maltreatment experiences and ADHD diagnosis and sex differences, and to estimate the association between repetitive maltreatment exposure and ADHD through childhood and adolescence. Methods Data were obtained from the Boricua Youth Study, a longitudinal study of 2480 children and adolescents of Puerto Rican background. Neglect, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and foster placement were regressed on ADHD diagnosis measured at each of three waves using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-IV. Multilevel regressions estimated the effects of exposure on ADHD, adjusted by age, sex, income, household education, parental psychopathology, comorbidity and ADHD medication status. Results Emotional abuse and foster placement had robust associations with ADHD diagnosis. For girls, physical abuse had a threefold increase in the odds of having ADHD diagnosis; for boys, associations were observed only for emotional abuse. Prospective models examining the risk of ADHD following maltreatment provided initial evidence for the effects of physical abuse on ADHD, and a linear trend for repetitive exposure suggested increased probability for disorder persistence. Conclusions Associations between early maltreatment and ADHD were robust. Different categories of maltreatment increase the likelihood of ADHD for girls and boys. Increased exposure to maltreatment may predict symptom persistence. Interventions addressing ADHD must consider the effects of both sex and family environment.

Performance-based measures have shown some limitation in the assessment of Executive Functions (EF) and rating scales have been proposed as an alternative. Our aim was to conduct a comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS), as administered in 452 Latino community adults (65.5% female). The BDEFS was back-translated into Spanish. We performed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to assess the structure of the translated BDEFS and to compare it with the original 5-factor structure based on the English language version. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to test the original language structure of the instrument, and also a modified version with items that loaded equally in both versions. The Adult Self-Report Scale (ASRS) was used to screen for ADHD symptoms. We assessed invariance on the latent factor’s mean by age and gender, and to estimate associations with ADHD symptom dimensions. The 5-factor structure of the BDEFS was partially supported by EFA/CFA, in which 78 out of 89 items loaded similar to the original English language structure. Factor scores were significantly associated with ADHD symptom dimensions. Model-based contrasts revealed that inattention was primarily associated with disorganization, time-management and motivational aspects of EF; hyperactivity was predominantly related to self-restraint and self-regulation factors. The BDEFS seemingly assesses similar dimensions of the EF construct in English and in the present Spanish language versions. Factor scores were differentially associated with ADHD subtypes. Replication and confirmation of the Spanish language BDEFS in a larger sample is advised.

Heval Özgen, Renske Spijkerman, Wim van den Brink and Vincent Hendriks contributed equally to this paper.

Background It is unclear whether adult offenders with a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to re-offend and, if so, in any specific offences. Aim To examine correlates of childhood ADHD symptoms among prisoners. Methods A randomly selected sample of 1,179 participants from the adult sentenced population of Puerto Rico (USA) reported their history of violent and non-violent offences, age of first arrest and reoffending. Participants completed retrospective measures of ADHD and a diagnostic interview for substance use disorders. Results Self-reported ADHD was associated with age of first arrest, a number of violent and non-violent offences and re-offending. The association with any non-violent offending was explained statistically by substance use disorders and other psychosocial covariates. ADHD was independently associated with being under 15 years of age at first arrest, and with re-offending. Conclusions Although some associations between ADHD and offending may be accounted for by comorbidity with substance use disorders, early onset of offending and repeated violent offending appear to be directly related to ADHD. Criminal justice policies should, therefore, incorporate ADHD screening accompanied by appropriate rehabilitation programmes when such neurodevelopmental disorder is identified.

Introduction: Comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is present in 15-25% of all patients seeking treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). Some studies suggest that comorbid ADHD increases clinical severity related to SUDs, other psychiatric comorbidities, and social impairment, but could not disentangle their respective influences. Objectives: To investigate whether comorbid adult ADHD in treatment-seeking SUD patients is associated with more severe clinical profiles in these domains assessed altogether. Methods: Treatment-seeking SUD patients from 8 countries (N = 1,294: 26% females, mean age 40 years [SD = 11 years]) were assessed for their history of DSM-IV ADHD, SUDs, and other psychiatric conditions and sociodemographic data. SUD patients with and without comorbid ADHD were compared on indicators of severity across 3 domains: addiction (number of SUD criteria and diagnoses), psychopathological complexity (mood disorders, borderline personality disorder, lifetime suicidal thoughts, or behavior), and social status (education level, occupational and marital Icick et al.

Depersonalization experiences have been studied in the United States and Europe, but there is a dearth of investigations with Latino populations. In the current study we examined the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS) in 300 adult individuals from the community and compared the results with those reported previously with non-Latino clinical populations. Discrepant findings have been reported with respect to the factor structure of the CDS. We performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the CDS items and compared our results with published analyses on other populations. Results revealed that the psychometric properties of the CDS, such as reliability, seem adequate, although the factor structure of the CDS seems to be inconsistent across studies. We selected a 4-factor solution that was most parsimonious and best fit our data. Furthermore, we obtained a moderate, statistically significant relationship (r = .64, p = .001) between the CDS and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Our results, utilizing a nonclinical sample of Puerto Rican adults, suggest that depersonalization experiences can be reliably measured in a Latino and Spanish-speaking population.

Aims: To examine the role of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and impulsive personality disorders in nicotine addiction severity among treatment-seeking substance use disorder (SUD) patients. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we examined data from the second International ADHD in Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study (IASP-2) on 402 adults in SUD treatment from Puerto Rico, Hungary, and Australia using diagnostic interviews for ADHD, antisocial (ASP) and borderline (BPD) personality disorders, and the self-report Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND). We compared SUD patients with and without ADHD on nicotine addiction severity. We tested direct and indirect pathways from ADHD to nicotine addiction and mediation Sánchez-García et al.