Relationship of Probable Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with Severity of Psychopathology and Impulsivity in a Sample of Male Patients with Opioid Use Disorder

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate relationship of probable attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with severity of psychopathology and the effect of impulsivity on this relationship in a sample of male patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). METHODS: Participants included 234 patients (115 inpatients and 119 outpatients) with OUD. Participants were evaluated with the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1), the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) and the Short Form of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11-SF). RESULTS: Psychopathology and impulsivity scores were higher among those with the probable ADHD. ADHD scores were midly to moderately correlated with impulsivity and psychopathology scores. In logistic regression analyses, while severity of general psychopathology and impulsivity predicted probable ADHD in the first Model, in the second Model, among dimensions of psychopathology obsessive compulsive (OC) dimension, whereas among dimensions of impulsivity non-planning and motor impulsivity predicted probable ADHD. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that probable ADHD is related with the severity of psychopathology, particularly OC dimension, while the severity of impulsivity may have an partial mediator (particularly non-planning and motor impulsivity) effect on this relationship among patients with OUD.