Comorbidity of substance use disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Substance use disorders (substance dependence and substance abuse), like adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adult ADHD), are common mental disorders of high individual and societal relevance. Both disorders show relatively high heritability, with susceptibility mediated by interactions between multiple shared and divergent candidate genes and environmental factors. Both substance use disorders and adult ADHD carry an increased risk for additional Axis I disorders. Studies on the comorbidity of adult ADHD and substance use disorders are inconsistent. Various hypotheses of comorbidity are discussed.