IS ADHD IN CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATED WITH LIFETIME HOARDING SYMPTOMS? AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY

• Published in: Depression and anxiety Vol. 30; no. 8; pp. 741 - 748
• Main Authors: Fullana, Miquel A., Vilagut, Gemma, Mataix-Cols, David, Adroher, Núria Duran, Bruffaerts, Ronny, Bunting, Brendan, de Almeida, Jose M. Caldas, Florescu, Silvia, de Girolamo, Giovanni, de Graaf, Ron, Haro, Josep M., Kovess, Viviane, Alonso, Jordi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2013; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; anxiety; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - epidemiology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; attention-deficit hyperactivity; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; epidemiology; Europe - epidemiology; Female; hoarding disorder; Hoarding Disorder - epidemiology; Hoarding Disorder - psychology; Humans; Hyperactivity; Logistic Models; Male; obsessive-compulsive disorder; Risk Factors; Young Adult; anxiety; epidemiology; attention-deficit hyperactivity; obsessive-compulsive disorder; hoarding disorder
• ISSN: 1091-4269; 1520-6394
• DOI: 10.1002/da.22123

Background Although hoarding symptoms have been traditionally conceptualized as part of obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD), recent data suggest that they may be more closely related to attention‐deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) symptoms and, in particular, inattention. The aim of the present epidemiological study was to investigate the association between retrospectively reported ADHD symptoms in childhood and lifetime hoarding symptoms. Methods Retrospectively reported childhood ADHD, and lifetime hoarding and obsessive‐compulsive symptoms were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 in a random subsample of individuals (n = 2,963) participating in a cross‐sectional survey of the adult general population of nine European countries, as part of the World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys. Results Lifetime hoarding symptoms were more common among individuals with childhood ADHD symptoms than those without ADHD symptoms (8.9% versus 2.7%, P = 0.024). Childhood inattention (but not hyperactivity) was associated with lifetime hoarding symptoms (OR = 6.04, 95% CI = 3.59–10.1) and this association remained significant after controlling for the presence of obsessive‐compulsive symptoms. Conclusion Longitudinal studies are now needed to explore the hypothesis that inattention symptoms in childhood may be a precursor of hoarding difficulties later in life.