Siblings of adolescents with ADHD who themselves have ADHD are more likely to have psychiatric comorbidities than are unaffected siblings or controls without ADHD

QuestionQuestion

What is the rate of psychiatric comorbidities in adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their siblings?

Population

136 adolescent probands (mean age 12.8 years, 85% male) with ADHD (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria), 136 siblings of the probands (selected sibling closest in age to the proband if more than one sibling; mean age 11.5 years for ADHD-affected siblings and 13.1 years for unaffected siblings) and 136 control participants who were age- and sex-matched to the proband and did not have a diagnosis of ADHD (mean age 12.4 years). Adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders, psychotic disorders or an IQ of <80 were excluded.

Setting

One child psychiatric clinic, National Taiwan University Hospital; date not specified.

Assessment

The current and lifetime episodes of mental disorders of all participants were assessed with the Chinese Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children – Epidemiologic Version…