The severity of ADHD and eating disorder symptoms: a correlational study

Niklaus Stulz,Céline Gächter,Urs Hepp,Gabriella Milos,Chantal Martin-Soelch,Anja Spindler

doi:10.1186/1471-244x-13-44

Niklaus Stulz, Céline Gächter + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244x-13-44

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Abstract

BackgroundAttention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and eating disorders (ED) share several clinical features. Research on the association between ADHD and ED is still quite sparse and findings are ambiguous.MethodsCorrelations between the severity of ADHD key features (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-Self-Rating questionnaire) and the severity of specific ED symptoms (Structured Interview for Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa) were examined in 32 female patients diagnosed with ED.ResultsMost correlations between the severity of ADHD features and the severity of ED symptoms were low (r<0.30) and did not reach statistical significance. The only exception was a statistically significant, but counterintuitive association between impulsivity and the avoidance of fattening food.ConclusionsThe findings in this small sample suggest a weak link between the severity of ADHD key features and the severity of single ED symptoms in female patients with ED. The role of ADHD features for the development, maintenance, and treatment of EDs seems to be intricate and requires further study.

Highlights

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and eating disorders (ED) share several clinical features
None of them was diagnosed with an ADHD when using the strict Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-Self-Rating (ADHD-SR) research criteria [33], the proportion of participants with comorbid ADHD increased to 29% when using less strict clinical criteria [33]
When adopting a Bonferroni corrected critical alpha level of 0.05/88=0.00057 to control for the inflated type I error due to the testing of 88 correlations in the sample, the only correlation reaching statistical significance was between the degree of impulsivity as measured by the ADHD-SR and more severe avoidance of fattening food

Summary

Introduction

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and eating disorders (ED) share several clinical features. The three key features of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD)–inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity–are often present in individuals with eating disorders (ED) [1]. Excessive exercise, which is typical in AN patients, may be considered a restless or hyperactive behavior. In line with these findings, case-controlled studies found increased prevalence rates of ED in general, and of BN in particular, in ADHD samples compared with control groups (11–16% vs 2–5%) [5,6,7,8,9]. Wentz et al [13]

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