Comorbid psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A descriptive analytic study

Background. Psychiatric studies are influenced by geographical conditions and research methods. Among them, the use of diagnostic tools may cause controversy over the results of studies on psychiatric disorders as such ADHD. The aim of this study was to investigate comorbid psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Methods. In this study, 400 children and adolescents with ADHD were selected from the clients of Razi and Sharif Hospital Psychiatric Clinic. For sample selection, a demographic questionnaire and semi-structured diagnostic interview (K-SADS-PL) were utilized to evaluate the presence of psychiatric disorders. The duration of the project was 4 months.

Results. The mean age of the patients was 9.16±2.46 years and the highest frequency was in the age group of 6 to 9 years (63%). Of the 400 patients studied, 73.3% were boys. The highest frequency of education was related to preschool (61.5%). A history of ADHD was positive in 10.8% in the father, 2.3% in the mother and 3.8% in both parents. Also, 9.5% of patients had a history of ADHD in their brother and 4% had a positive history of ADHD in their sister. The most common psychiatric disorder in the present study was oppositional defiant disorder (92%). One comorbid disorder was identifiable in more than 54% of participants.

Conclusion. The most common psychiatric disorder in children with ADHD includes oppositional defiant disorder, which is more common in boys, although no significant differences was founded in terms of sex and age.

Practical Implications. Findings of this study suggest that the clinicians, child psychologists and psychiatrists ought to take into consideration the probability of comorbid disorders with ADHD, since failing to consider them might directly influence the quality and quantity of treatments utilized.