Prevalence of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and its Correlates among Recently Diagnosed Young Adult Males with HIV

Abstract

A majority of children with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from early childhood continue to demonstrate notable ADHD symptoms throughout life. ADHD-associated impulsivity, in adults, has been found to be a predictor of unstable interpersonal relationships and high risk sexual behavior. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of adult ADHD in recently diagnosed young male HIV patients. 100 young adult males who were diagnosed with HIV less than a year ago were recruited after an informed consent and were administered the following questionnaires-socio-demographic questionnaire with details of HIV diagnosis, HIV High Risk Behavior Questionnaire (HRBS) to measure High risk sexual behaviors, MINI neuropsychiatric Interview 6.0 to rule out psychiatric co-morbidities, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) to rule out major cognitive impairment, Adult ADHD Self Report scale (ASRS) v1.1 to screen for ADHD in adulthood. ADHD-rating scale was administered to parent/ informant to screen for childhood ADHD. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS v 17.0. The prevalence of Adult ADHD in our sample was 20%. 94% of subjects were on Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART). Adherence to HAART was comparatively lesser in the ADHD group which was statistically significant (p=0.014). Substance use was significantly more in the ADHD group (p=0.03). People with ADHD had significantly higher High Risk sexual behavior than those without ADHD (p<0.001). Hence, these findings suggest that ADHD may contribute to high risk sexual behavior and thereby also the risk of contracting HIV. Future research on a larger population will provide more conclusive evidence. For now, health promotion and specific protection with greater emphasis in this vulnerable population of adult ADHD would be warranted in preventing HIV.