Psychometric and psychopathological characterization of young male prison inmates with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

There is considerable evidence that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with conduct problems, social maladaptation and delinquent behavior. The "Ottweiler Study" was performed to elaborate the prevalence of ADHD and comorbid disorders in 129 young adult detainees of the juvenile prison of Ottweiler (Germany) according to DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria. Here we report psychopathological characteristics of 28 inmates, who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for persisting ADHD, and 37 individuals with neither a history nor current ADHD symptoms. Childhood ADHD symptoms but no current ADHD were present in 64 individuals. The Wender-Reimherr Interview (WRI) based on the Utah criteria for adult ADHD, the NEO-five factor personality inventory (NEO-FFI) and the youth self report/young adult self report (YSR/YASR) according to Achenbach were used for the assessment of psychopathology and the description of behavioral problems. Regarding WRI and YSR/YASR we found a significant increase of emotional and internalizing problems in the ADHD group compared to delinquents without ADHD or ADHD history. ADHD delinquents scored higher on the personality dimension neuroticism, and showed lower scores on the dimensions agreeableness and consciousness. Using discriminant analysis, high scores on the WRI subscales disorganization and attention difficulties and NEO-FFI neuroticism were the best predictors of ADHD diagnosis. The results support prior findings of high ADHD prevalence in prison inmates and suggest that emotional and internalizing abnormalities are prominent problems in this population. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of ADHD as an independent factor for life-persistent criminality, since specific treatment may help to ameliorate the legal prognosis.

Association of ADHD with reactive and proactive violent behavior in a forensic population

“…The high variety of findings might be due to the different populations investigated, different criminal law systems, differences regarding the mean age of study populations and diagnostic procedures. In a German study with young adult incarcerated male offenders, the prevalence of ADHD according to DSM-IV was 45% (Rösler et al 2004;Retz et al 2004a). In middle-aged incarcerated women, a prevalence of 10% was found ).…”

Predictors of institutional behavioural disturbance and offending in the community among young offenders

“…ADHD is associated with offending from a young age (Retz et al, 2004;Vitelli, 1996), and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD are four to five times more likely to have been arrested than controls (Satterfield, Swanson, Schell, & Lee, 1994). Studies conducted in youth offending institutions have estimated high rates of ADHD of 26.5% in Canada (Ulzen & Hamilton, 1998); 43% in England (Young et al, 2010); 50% in Finland (Haapasalo & Ha¨ma¨la¨inen, 1996), 68% in Sweden (Dalteg & Levander, 1998), 45% in Germany (Retz et al, 2004), and 76% in the USA (Timmons-Mitchell et al, The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology 73 1997).…”

Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and child protection: review of evidence and child safeguarding guidelines

“…The high prevalence of childhood (50%) 25 and ongoing adult (21.7%) 26 ADHD in prison populations, taken together with greater recidivism and violent behaviour in offenders who have ADHD, 27 might suggest a causal link between ADHD and criminality -perhaps because of high impulsivity. However, the association between childhood ADHD and later criminality is thought to be entirely dependent on the presence of comorbid childhood conduct disorder.…”