Cognitive‐motivational, interpersonal, and behavioral functioning in relationship to treatment and research engagement in forensic patients with ADHD

OBJECTIVES: To provide more insight into treatment and research responsivity in offenders with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD: Via self‐reports and patients' scores on cognitive computer tasks, it was examined whether poorer cognitive‐motivational, interpersonal, and behavioral functioning were related to treatment no‐shows, longer treatment time duration intervals, and no‐show at the research appointment in 52 forensic outpatients with ADHD (M (age) = 35.3, SD = 9.38). Treatment adherence was tracked for 10 appointments after research participation. RESULTS: Regression analyses showed that higher self‐reported impulsivity was associated with research no‐show, and more alcohol use with longer treatment time intervals. Yet, self‐reported delay aversion was associated with fewer treatment no‐shows, and, uncontrolled for alcohol use, impulsivity was associated with shorter treatment time intervals in a subsample of patients. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results indicate that externalizing behaviors increase the risk for nonadherence in forensic ADHD patients, but that cognitive‐motivational problems also motivate patients to be more engaged.