Citation

Knowles O, Richards E. Neuropsychiatr. Dis. Treat. 2019; 15: 2819-2820.

Affiliation

Department of Medicine and Dentistry, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Dove Press)

DOI

10.2147/NDT.S231305

PMID

31579284

PMCID

PMC6773974

Abstract

We read with interest the article by Abbasi-Ghahramanloo et al, shedding light on the relationship between risk-taking behaviours and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Iranian workers.1 The study identified 4 latent classes from low to high-risk, finding that 6.6% of the workers showed behaviours related to moderate or high-risk classes. Conclusions drawn also stated that a diagnosis of ADHD increased the chance of falling into the moderate and high classes, consistent with the core symptoms of ADHD and exhibition of impulsivity, inattention and hyperactivity that go hand-in-hand with risk-taking behaviour. We thank the authors for adding to a growing pool of knowledge encompassing ADHD and the likelihood of partaking in risk-taking behaviours. Here, we would like to offer some opinions on the study.

The authors state in their methods section that ADHD was measured using the Conner’s Adult ADHD Rating scales (CAARS) 30-item questionnaire, with a score of >15 considered to show ADHD.1 This scale was used to “diagnose” workers with ADHD, and conclusions were drawn based on this questionnaire, such as comparison of ADHD prevalence. Typically, CAARS is used as a screening tool for ADHD and is not validated for diagnostic purposes,2 nor does it encompass any form of recommended measure for diagnosis of ADHD.

Because of this, we feel that the data on the “prevalence” of ADHD in these Iranian workers cannot be compared to the other studies referenced looking at ADHD prevalence, for example, in prisoners. The latter paper used a clinical interview based on ...

Language: en