The relationship between substance use disorder and ADHD symptoms based on craving and emotion dysregulation

Psychiatric comorbidity studies on substance use disorder (SUD) show that it is associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While a large amount of medical literature has explored the association between ADHD and SUDs, less attention has been dedicated their relationships and general psychopathology in dual disorder patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare emotion regulation and consumption temptation among SUD patients with ADHD symptoms and those without it.

The present study is a descriptive-analytical study. The sample consisted of 36 people with co-morbid substance abuse with ADHD symptoms and 35 patients with substance abuse disorder who were purposefully selected. Research tools included Structured Clinical Interview (SCID-V), Emotion Regulation Difficulty Scale (DERS), and Beck Temptation Questionnaire (CBQ). Data analysis was performed by SPSS software version 26 using independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test.

The results showed that the mean scores of temptation was significantly higher in people with comorbid SUD with ADHD symptoms (P<0.001). The results of Mann-Whitney test showed that the mean scores of emotion regulation in people with comorbid SUD with ADHD symptoms were higher (P<0.001).

Considering that the temptation to consume and regulate emotion in people with comorbid substance abuse disorder with ADHD symptoms is much higher than those suffering from SUD alone, it seems that the role of comorbid disorders in the mentioned population is of considerable importance.