ADHD in the prison population: a second micropost

"The results indicate that 41 % of the prisoners met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD [attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder] in childhood and continued to meet criteria for ADHD as adults."

So said the study results from Romana Farooq and colleagues [1] continuing a theme of how ADHD may very well have some important associations with the prison population (see here). This time around surveying "both childhood and adult ADHD symptoms using the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV" among 69 female prisoners, Farooq et al ventured down an important research path covering how ADHD manifests in women.

A few other important details are mentioned in their paper including how "young female prisoners (aged 18-25) were significantly more likely to report symptoms of ADHD than older prisoners" and "Prisoners who reported symptoms of ADHD also reported high levels of impairment associated with these symptoms."

Avoiding any sweeping generalisations about ADHD and incarceration, there continues to be some potentially important lessons to be learned from such research. That tackling ADHD as and when it presents in childhood might be an important goal is one of them (see here) save any heightened risk of future adverse consequences. More preferential screening for conditions like ADHD in the prison population might also be a good idea also. I might also forward the suggestion (yet again) that when it comes to the management of ADHD-related symptoms specifically in the prison environment, there may be important lessons we can learn from papers such as the one from Bernard Gesch and colleagues [2] set in the context of work from Julia Rucklidge et al (see here) and the importance of nutrition to behaviour...

Music: New Order - Tutti Frutti.

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[1] Farooq R. et al. Prevalence of adult ADHD in an all-female prison unit. Atten Defic Hyperact Disord. 2015 Dec 9.

[2] Gesch CB. et al. Influence of supplementary vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids on the antisocial behaviour of young adult prisoners. Randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2002 Jul;181:22-8.

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Farooq, R., Emerson, L., Keoghan, S., & Adamou, M. (2015). Prevalence of adult ADHD in an all-female prison unit ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders DOI: 10.1007/s12402-015-0186-x