Sleep disorders are common in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study, published in Psychiatric Research, evaluated the prevalence and severity of sleep disorders and sleep disturbances in Italian psychiatric outpatients with ADHD and other mental disorders.
The study included 634 participants who underwent mental health consultations. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus V. 5.0.0 interview and the Adult ADHD self-report Scale Symptoms Checklist (ASRS)-V 1.1 Short Form were used to evaluate the participants. Those who tested positive on the ASRS-V 1.1 were further evaluated using the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults 2.0. The PROMIS Adult Sleep Disturbance Scale was utilized to determine the severity of the sleep disturbances and sleep disorders.
Ultimately the researchers found that sleep disorders and severe sleep disturbances were significantly more prevalent in participants with ADHD than those without ADHD. Moreover, it was found that 34.1% of the participants diagnosed with ADHD had no or slight sleep disturbances, 20.5% had mild sleep disorders, 38.6% had moderate sleep disorders, and 6.8% had severe sleep disorders.
The researchers concluded that sleep disorders might be more prevalent and severe in individuals with ADHD. They also asserted that, as sleep disturbances may be an inherent feature of adult ADHD, they should be regularly assessed and monitored in this population [1].
Source:
[1] Valsecchi, P., Nibbio, G., Rosa, J., & Vita, A. (2022). Adult ADHD and sleep disorders: prevalence, severity and predictors of sleep disorders in a sample of Italian psychiatric outpatients. Psychiatry Research, 310, 114447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114447
