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Psychopathology and Attention Performance in Methamphetamine Users with ADHD Symptomology in Childhood

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Abstract

Methamphetamine use disorder is often associated with psychopathological symptoms and attention performance deficits. Little is known about the co-incidence of methamphetamine use disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood. This study examines potential correlations between substance use patterns, psychopathological symptoms, and attention performance in methamphetamine-dependent inpatients with and without a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood. Sixty male and 16 female inpatients in two treatment centers were examined. Pre-treatment, participants were interviewed regarding socio-demographic characteristics, medical history, completed measurements for intellectual capability, and symptomology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood. Pre- and post-treatment cognitive function and psychopathological symptoms were assessed. Among the study population, the prevalence of symptomology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood was 43.4% (n = 33), with higher scores in females. Without gender differences, participants with childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were significantly younger than non-affected participants and had started significantly earlier the use of methamphetamine, alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. The groups did not differ regarding treatment outcomes. However, the group of individuals with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood had significantly more psychiatric diagnoses (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder) and was significantly more affected by psychopathological symptoms at pre-treatment than non-affected patients. In both groups, the presence of psychopathological symptoms tended to decrease at post-treatment. No significant differences were found with respect to intelligence and attention performance. Methamphetamine-dependent inpatients seem to be highly affected by symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood, substance use disorders, and further psychopathological symptoms. This should be addressed in the establishment of new therapeutic programs.

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Funding

The present study “Evaluation of a stationary model project (MATRIX, Indicative Group ATS) for ‘Crystal’-user” was funded by the German federal ministry of health (ZMVI1-2516DSM216). The funding source did not influence study design, data collection, analysis or interpretation of data as well as writing content of the manuscript. Proof reading was done by the American Journal Experts (AJE).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Applied Labour Studies, Mannheim, Germany

    Andreas G. Franke

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany

    Gabi Koller, Lisa Proebstl, Daniela Krause, Felicia Kamp, Laura Hager & Michael Soyka

  3. European University of Applied Sciences, Rostock, Germany

    Stefanie Neumann

  4. Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany

    Kirsi Manz

Authors
  1. Andreas G. Franke
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  2. Gabi Koller
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  3. Stefanie Neumann
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  4. Lisa Proebstl
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  5. Kirsi Manz
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  6. Daniela Krause
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  7. Felicia Kamp
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  8. Laura Hager
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  9. Michael Soyka
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Contributions

Michael Soyka designed the research study. Stefanie Neumann performed the research with the inpatients. Stefanie Neumann, Lisa Proebstl and Felicia Kamp analyzed and calculated the raised data. Andreas G. Franke, Lisa Proebstl, Felicia Kamp, Daniela Krause, Laura Hager, Gabi Koller and Michael Soyka provided assistance with data raising. Kirsi Manz did the statistical analysis. All authors interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript, read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Andreas G. Franke.

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Ethics approval and consent to participate

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study. The Ethics Committee of the LMU Munich approved the study protocol following the Declaration of Helsinki (1975).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Franke, A.G., Koller, G., Neumann, S. et al. Psychopathology and Attention Performance in Methamphetamine Users with ADHD Symptomology in Childhood. Int J Ment Health Addiction 21, 1663–1678 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00682-0

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