Associations Between Childhood ADHD and Other Mental Disorders in Young Women

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence rates of Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADHD) and comorbidity in a representative sample of young women. Methods: 2064 young women, aged 18–25 years, living in Dresden (Germany), were interviewed with a structured psychological interview, F-DIPS, for diagnosing axis-I disorders according to DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Ed.). Results: The lifetime prevalence of ADHD was 1.5% (31 women), with only 0.14% still suffering from ADHD since childhood. Since ADHD affects boys 3–4 times more often than girls, the prevalence rate found in this sample is approximately in accordance with overall prevalence rates of about 3–10% in children. Lifetime prevalence of conduct disorders, somatoform disorders, and PTSD was significant higher in women fulfilling once the diagnosis of ADHD than in other women. Moreover, women with (past or current) ADHD were almost twice as likely to suffer from depressive disorders and specific phobic disorders as compared with women without ADHD. Conclusion: ADHD in childhood might lead to an increased prevalence of other psychiatric disorders in adolescence and adulthood, even if diagnostic criteria of ADHD are no longer fulfilled.