A Clinical Study of Comorbidity of ADHD

Lee, Jun Hwa; Kwon, Soon Hak

Abstract

PURPOSE: A number of emotional, behavioral, cognitive conditions co-occur with ADHD(Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). These conditions were commonly unrecognized due to the lack of appropriate questioning and evaluation. Thus, This study is aimed to evaluate the comorbidity of ADHD using K-CBCL(Child Behavior Check List).
METHODS
Among the patients diagnosed with ADHD by using DSM-IV. A total of 41 patients(11 female and 30 male) were examined by K-CBCL. They ranged in age from 4 years to 14 years with a mean age of 8 years. They were classified into three clinical types; Inattentive, Hyperactive/Impulsive, and Combined type. They were subgrouped again by the presence of Learning Disability(LD). The Scores were compared among the groups and the data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and post hoc analysis.
RESULTS
Fifty-six percent of the cases scored greater than 70 on at least one factor measured, and 27% seemed to have LD. Female patients were more likely to have social withdrawal and thought problems(P<0.05), and Hyperactive/Impulsive type was more likely to have aggression as compared with Inattentive type(P<0.01). The patients with LD scored worse on the item of attention compared with the cases without LD(P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Comorbidity of ADHD is relatively common and may have a significant impact on functioning, management, and prognosis of patients with ADHD. Rating scales such as K-CBCL can provide a lot of information at a relatively low cost and help sketch the clinical pictures of patients.