Evaluation of the Coexistence of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Abstract

Aim: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, and its etiology of it has not been fully elucidated yet. We tried to evaluate the familial aspects of anxiety disorders and ADHD in this study. Materials and Methods: Our study group comprised 128 parents aged between 24 and 60 years (114 mothers and 14 fathers) of 128 children with diagnosis of ADHD (n = 47), anxiety disorders (n = 30), and ADHD + anxiety disorders (n = 51) who had been evaluated by the department of child and adolescent psychiatry. Findings of anxiety disorders and ADHD were evaluated in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-V Criteria. Beck Anxiety Inventory, Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), and Turgay's Adult Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD)/ADHD Diagnosis and Evaluation Scale were applied to parents. Results: Anxiety levels, WURS, and Turgay's Adult ADD/ADHD Diagnosis and Evaluation Scale points did not be differentiated between groups. 16.7% (n = 5) of ADHD + anxiety, 6.4% of ADHD (n = 3), and 9.8% (n = 5) of anxiety group of parents were high-degree ADD/ADHD (+). Conclusion: Our study results show that there are some familial features of ADHD and anxiety disorders. Considering the relationship between these two disorders during the psychiatric care of children as well as their parents is deeply important for clinicians.