Partial mediator role of physical abuse on the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and severity of dissociative experiences in a sample of inpatients with alcohol use disorder

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms with dissociative experiences, and the mediator role of childhood traumas on this relationship, while controlling the effect of depression in alcohol use disorder (AUD). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: It was a hospital-based, cross-sectional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and ninety inpatients with AUD were evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory, the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), Childhood Trauma Qestionnaire, and Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: One-way ANOVA, Chi-squared test, and hierarchical linear regression model were performed. RESULTS: The ratio of those who receive 10 points or less from DES was 26.8%, those who receive points between 11 and 30 was 45.3%, and those who receive more than 30 points was 27.9%. The latter group that was considered as a group with high risk of dissociative disorder had higher scores from depression, childhood trauma, and ADHD scores than the other groups. Rate of those with high probability of ADHD was higher among this group. ASRS total score and inattentive subscale scores were moderately (r = 0.552 and r = 0.547, respectively) and hyperactive/impulsive subscale was mildly (r = 0.430) correlated with DES score. Severity of ADHD was related with the severity of dissociative symptoms, and physical abuse had partial mediator effect on this relationship, even after controlling the depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that the presence of severe IN symptoms is an important factor related with dissociative tendency in AUD population with a history of physical abuse.