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Prevalence of adult ADHD in an all-female prison unit

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ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders

Abstract

There is increasing evidence suggesting a link between ADHD and criminality, including a strong association between ADHD symptoms and the likelihood of being on probation or in prison. Most studies investigating the prevalence of ADHD in prison populations have focused on adult male offenders. In the current study, 69 female prisoners were screened for both childhood and adult ADHD symptoms using the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV. The results indicate that 41 % of the prisoners met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD in childhood and continued to meet criteria for ADHD as adults. More importantly, young female prisoners (aged 18–25) were significantly more likely to report symptoms of ADHD than older prisoners. Prisoners who reported symptoms of ADHD also reported high levels of impairment associated with these symptoms. A better understanding of the prevalence of ADHD in female prison units can highlight specific areas for intervention during rehabilitation, as well as the management of serious incidents within prison.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Manygates Clinic, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Portobello Road, Wakefield, WF1 5PN, UK

    Romana Farooq, Lisa-Marie Emerson, Sue Keoghan & Marios Adamou

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Lisa-Marie Emerson

Authors
  1. Romana Farooq
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  2. Lisa-Marie Emerson
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  3. Sue Keoghan
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  4. Marios Adamou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa-Marie Emerson.

Ethics declarations

The screening data were collected as part of routine clinical practice. Ethical standards (1964 Declaration of Helsinki and later amendments) were adhered to with regard to informed participant consent and right to withdraw. Thus, all participants provided informed consent prior to participation. Data collected were anonymised and stored confidentially.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Farooq, R., Emerson, LM., Keoghan, S. et al. Prevalence of adult ADHD in an all-female prison unit. ADHD Atten Def Hyp Disord 8, 113–119 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-015-0186-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-015-0186-x

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