Tamizaje del trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH) en pacientes hospitalizados por farmacodependencia en una unidad de salud mental en Barranquilla, Colombia

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder that typically presents in childhood and can continue into adulthood. Mainly affects three areas given by attention, impulse control, and hyperactivity, which end up affecting the psychosocial development, interpersonal relationships, and academic level of the subject. The prevalence varies depending on age group, sex, and location; however, it is estimated at 7% overall in the pediatric population and 4.5% in adults. ADHD symptoms have been found to predict tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use; and additionally, if left untreated, it is estimated that up to 50% of people with ADHD will manifest a substance use disorder at some point in their lives, however there are no data on such comorbidity in our population, so we consider necessary to determine the prevalence of ADHD in the population hospitalized for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in the mental health institution through screening with self-report scales. Here we report the sociodemographic characterization, drug use pattern and comorbidities of this population, as well as the result of screening with the Wender Utah Scale (WURS-25) and Adult ADHD Self Report Scale (ASRS V1.1). The study included a total of 74 subjects who were hospitalized in a mental health institution located in Barranquilla, Colombia, with a diagnosis of SUD. It was found that 50% of patients scored positive for ADHD diagnosis according to the ASRS scale, probable diagnosis 20.3% and unlikely 29.7%, with 44.6% positive on the WURS-25 scale. The results of the present study suggest that screening for ADHD is a useful tool to detect comorbidity in patients with SUD, who could benefit from comprehensive treatment for both pathologies and thus impact the course and prognosis of the disease, as well as their functionality and quality of life.