ABSTRACT
Objective: ADHD remains a largely underdiagnosed disorder in Europe and especially in Italy. Aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence of ADHD and its clinical and demographic correlates in a large sample of Italian outpatients. Method: 634 outpatients accessing psychiatric services were assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Plus V. 5.0.0 interview and the Adult ADHD self-report Scale Symptoms Checklist (ASRS)-V 1.1 Short Form. Patients positive to the ASRS-V 1.1 were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults (DIVA) 2.0. Results: Of the total patients' sample, 81 (12.8%) were positive on the ASRS-V 1.1. After performing the DIVA 2.0, 44 patients (6.9%) met the criteria for Adult ADHD. Significant clinical and demographic differences between ADHD positive and negative groups were found. Conclusion: The prevalence and correlates of ADHD comorbidity in our outpatient psychiatric population were comparable to those found in other high-income countries. Considering the prevalence of ADHD and its impact on functioning, implementing specific knowledge on this subject is needed.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity , Outpatients , Adult , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/epidemiology , Comorbidity , Europe , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , PrevalenceABSTRACT
The literature shows an increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among illegal migrants. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of PTSD, subthreshold PTSD, the degree of disability, and differences in sociodemographic and anamnestic characteristics associated with these clinical conditions in a sample of newly arrived migrants. Two hundred male asylum seekers from West sub-Saharan Africa were evaluated for traumatic life events, PTSD symptoms, and disability through the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), the Primary Care PTSD Screen, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). The current prevalence of PTSD and subthreshold PTSD was 9.5% and 12.0%, respectively. PTSD and subthreshold PTSD subgroups presented higher WHODAS 2.0 scores and LEC-5 events, an over-representation of individuals with childhood adversities and an excess of premigration psychiatric contacts unrelated to PTSD spectrum disorders and peri-migration offences. Witnessing a traumatic event and disability in understanding and communication predicted both the presence of PTSD symptoms and PTSD status. PTSD spectrum disorders should be considered among the clinical emergencies associated with asylum seeker condition, and targeted interventions also involving the host citizens should be predisposed.
Subject(s)
Mental Health , Refugees/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Humans , Italy , Linear Models , Male , Prevalence , Severity of Illness Index , Surveys and Questionnaires , World Health Organization , Young AdultABSTRACT
The aims of this study were to establish the prevalence of moderate and severe psychomotor agitation in patients hospitalized for an active phase of schizophrenia, the associations between psychomotor agitation and patients' demographic and clinical variables, the intra-individual stability of the agitated/non-agitated dichotomy in independent psychotic breakdowns. The study was performed on a database relative to 630 inpatients hospitalized with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Psychomotor agitation was measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale - Excited Component (PANSS-EC). Prevalence of moderate and severe psychomotor agitation was 40.5% and 23.7%, respectively. Non-agitated patients were older, with longer illness history and duration of untreated psychosis, were more frequently on antipsychotic medication, had lower incidence of recent use of substances, and functioned better before the index hospitalization than moderately and/or severely agitated patients. Non-agitated patients had lower scores for total PANSS and Emsley's positive and anxiety dimensions. Compared with the severely agitated group, non-agitated and moderately agitated patients scored more in Emsley's depression dimension. Poor functioning before index hospital admission, higher scores for negative subscale and Emsley's positive dimension and use of substances exerted an effect on risk of psychomotor agitation.
