A meta-analysis of the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in incarcerated populations

Summary & key facts

The authors combined results from 42 studies of people in prison to estimate how common ADHD is in those groups. Using formal diagnostic interviews, the overall ADHD rate was about 25.5%. Reported rates were higher when studies used screening tools or when adults recalled childhood ADHD. The review found much higher ADHD rates in prisons than in the general public, and rates varied by country.

Key facts:

• The meta-analysis included 42 studies of incarcerated (prison or jail) populations.
• Using diagnostic interview data, the estimated ADHD prevalence in incarcerated samples was 25.5%.
• ADHD prevalence in youth prison populations was reported as 30.1%, described as about a fivefold increase compared with published general population figures.
• ADHD prevalence in adult prison populations was reported as 26.2%, described as about a tenfold increase compared with published general population figures.
• Published general population estimates cited in the paper were about 3–7% for youths and about 1–5% for adults.
• Studies that used screening tools reported higher ADHD rates than studies that used diagnostic clinical interviews.
• Retrospective diagnoses (adults reporting childhood ADHD) gave higher prevalence estimates than studies using current diagnostic methods.
• The literature search covered studies published from 1980 up to the search update in August 2012, and the authors noted substantial variation in methods and country differences across studies.

Abstract

Compared with published general population prevalence, there is a fivefold increase in prevalence of ADHD in youth prison populations (30.1%) and a 10-fold increase in adult prison populations (26.2%).

Topics

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Bipolar Disorder and Treatment Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Psychiatry and Mental health

Tags

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Clinical psychology Covariate Demography Environmental health Epidemiology Internal medicine Mathematics Medical diagnosis Medicine Meta-analysis Pathology Population Prevalence Psychiatry Psychology Sociology Statistics