Half of Adults with ADHD Have a Substance Use Disorder

DOI:10.1093 / alcalc / agab048 / 6336025

Commentary

Half of adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a lifetime substance use disorder (SUD), according to a new study on alcohol and alcoholism published online this month. This was significantly higher than the 23.6 percent of young adults without ADHD.

This result does not change this hypothesis when factors such as age, race, income, education, childhood adversity, and other mental illnesses are taken into account, making them 69% more likely to have a substance use disorder.

The researchers emphasize that in light of these results, treatment for people with ADHD and SUDs occurring simultaneously should address depression and anxiety at the same time. There are also conflicting results that people with untreated depression and anxiety may self-medicate to manage symptoms of untreated mental disorders, resulting in increased substance use.

Patients with ADHD within the study experienced high levels of adversarial childhood, and more than one-third (35%) of young adults reported having been physically abused and one in nine had experienced sexual abuse.

Such childhood abuse can disrupt emotional regulation and neurodevelopmental growth, and may predispose to the development of substance abuse later in life.