The impact of childhood diagnosis of attention deficiency and hyperactivity disorder on adulthood obsessive compulsive disorder

Objective:The main aim of this study was to examine the clinical effects of Childhood diagnosis of Attention Deficiency and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on adulthood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Method:The sample included 64 patients who were consecutively admitted to Adnan Menderes University and Aydın State Hospital Psychiatry Clinics.Patients with Major depression (MD) and Tic Disorders (TD) were excluded.All participants were administered Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), and Wender-Utah Rating Scale-25 (WURS-25).32 patients who were diagnosed as childhood ADHD were also applied Adult Attention Deficiency and Hyperactivity Rating Scale (A-ADHRS). Then, these patients were compared with the OCD patients without ADHD (n=32) with respect to several sociodemographical and clinical variables. Results:The age onset of obsessive compulsive symptoms (OCS) was earlier in the OCD-ADHD group compared to OCD group (p<0.001).The symmetry obsessions,and ordering and hoarding compulsions were more frequent in OCD-ADHD group.Also, the total (p<0.001), inattention (p<0.001) and motor (p<0.05) subscale scores of BIS-11 were significantly higher in OCD-ADHD than in OCD group.In both of the groups, there were significant correlations between the scores of WURS-25 and the mean number of obsessions (p<0.05).In OCD-ADHD group, there was a positive correlation between the total scores of A-ADHRS and the mean number of obsessions (p<0.05). Conclusion: OCD with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD may represent a subtype of OCD with an earlier onset of OCS, more impulsivity, and particularly with symmetry obsessions and hoarding compulsions. Key Words: OCD, ADHD, comorbidity, subtype