Simultaneous measurement of psychopathology in people who are diagnosed with ADHD and eating disorders

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder of the neurodevelopmental type. Although several studies have found positive associations between abnormal eating patterns during childhood and ADHD, there is a lack of studies on ADHD and Eating Disorders. We added to the limited literature on ADHD in the traditional eating disorders and developed a path model to describe the associations between sociodemographic characteristics, personality, ADHD and ED psychopathology.The aims of this exploratory study were 1) to assess the ADHD symptoms level in ED and to ascertain whether there are differences among ED subtypes; 2) to analyze whether the presence of ADHD symptoms is associated with more severe eating disorder symptoms and greater general psychopathology; and 3) to assess whether the ADHD symptoms level is associated with specific temperament and character traits. 191 female ED patients were included. Assessment was carried out with the EDI-2, ASRS-v1.1, the SCL-90-R and the TCI-R.The ADHD symptoms level was similar in bulimia, eating disorder not otherwise specified and binge eating subtypes, and lower in anorexic patients. Obsessiveness and Hostility were significantly positively associated with ADHD symptoms. A path model showed that ADHD was associated with high Novelty Seeking and low Self-Directedness, whereas ED severity was influenced by ADHD severity and low Self-Directedness. Despite being the most commonly studied and diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children and adolescents, the cause is unknown in the majority of cases

کلیدواژه ها:

Psychiatric ، ADHD ، Psychopathology ، Sociodemographic