ADHD in relation to substance misuse

Abstract

An individual who suffers from ADHD is more likely to be inclined towards the use of illegal substances due to the dopaminergic activity in the brain and the need for stimulation. Research suggests the need for accurate diagnosis of both conditions comorbidly in order to have optimal treatment outcome. The research question states as follows: Does having ADHD affect the likelihood of substance misuse? The PEO element consists of: Adults with a dual diagnosis of ADHD and substance misuse as the population, Illicit substances as the exposure and perspectives of the population as the outcome. The inclusion criteria consist of peer reviewed studies, in the English language, and not restricted to any geographical region. The exclusion criteria consist of studies not in the English language, not enough sufficient screening, secondary analysis, studies which are not peer reviewed, and studies published more than 10 years ago. After relevant research was identified, the CASP tools were employed to assess and analyse both the meta-analysis and systematic review identified in this dissertation, while the JBRIG was utilized to evaluate cohort studies and cross-sectional reviews obtained in the study. Results report that individuals who are diagnosed with ADHD are more inclined towards developing substance misuse, and possibly initiated at an earlier age.