Trauma in substance use disorder (SUD) patients with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Abstract

Data for the current study is derived from the International ADHD in Substance use disorders Prevalence (IASP) multisite, cross-sectional study. The study population consists of participants receiving in- or outpatient treatment for SUD (N = 1205). Participants ranged in age from 18 to 65 years. Participants were screened for ADHD and examined for the psychiatric disorders antisocial personality disorder (ASP), borderline personality disorder (BPD), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depression (MD). Results Trauma was far more prevalent in SUD patients with ADHD as compared to SUD patients without ADHD, independent of type of trauma. In addition, a partial mediational effect of psychiatric disorders, and in particular for ASP, is found in the relation between ADHD and physical, sexual and emotional abuse. This indicates that comorbidity explains a part of the relation between ADHD and abuse.