Background: Current clinical practice increasingly presents adolescents and adults with substance use disorder (SUD). Childhood ADHD is considered a primary factor for the early emergence of substance use in adults with substance use disorder. The review aims to understand the prevalence of childhood ADHD in adults with substance use disorder and the age of onset of alcohol and tobacco use in adults with SUD with and without childhood ADHD.

Methods: A systematic search of databases (PubMed, Medline, Cinahl, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase) was conducted to find observational studies that measured the prevalence rates of childhood ADHD and the age of onset of SUD. Data extraction was performed by two independent authors (TS and SR). The review considered observational and intervention studies. Primary inclusion criteria were – a) participants with ADHD, b) Adults with SUD. Quality ratings for articles were done using a checklist based on ROBINS-1 and the Observation study quality evaluation scale.

Results: Results indicated that the prevalence rate for childhood ADHD in adults with substance use disorder was 13.92 (p≤0.0001). For the age of onset, the test of heterogeneity was significant (p<0.00001, I2=100%). Therefore, a random effects model was used to calculate the age of onset, which was 3.14 (95% Cl 0.85,5.44) years earlier for the childhood ADHD group compared to the non-ADHD group. Conclusion: Adults with substance use disorder show a high prevalence of childhood ADHD. Childhood ADHD can accelerate the pathway from early substance use through abuse and dependence. Authors:
Trusha Shanbhag, Central Institute of Psychiatry, India
Shweta Rai, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), India
Samir Praharaj, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Trusha Shanbhag is a University Doctoral Student at Central Institute of Psychiatry, India. She has completed her postgraduation and MPhil from Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Her interest areas are child psychology and addiction psychiatry

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trushashanbhag

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