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Moodiness in Patients with ADHD and Substance Use Disorders

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Moodiness in ADHD

Abstract

In adolescents and adults, substance use and alcohol use disorders (SUDs) occur more commonly in individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) than without it. Emotional symptoms of SUDs may include mood dysregulation, irritability, agitation, sedation, depression, or anxiety, depending on the particular substance and whether a person is experiencing a state of intoxication or withdrawal from it. Such “moody” symptoms can be hard to differentiate from those of ADHD and other psychiatric disorders that commonly co-occur with ADHD. Evaluation of patients with ADHD and such mood symptoms requires careful assessment for potential underlying SUDs. SUDs diagnosed with ADHD will usually require additional treatment planning, and closer monitoring of compliance and treatment response. In this chapter, we discuss the extent of ADHD and SUDs, especially in clinical populations, and the etiological relationships between ADHD and SUDs. We also will briefly review their clinical management, from screening, assessment, and diagnosis, to treatment planning and specific interventions. We finally will review these topics regarding how they pertain to true mood disorders that frequently co-occur in patients with ADHD and SUDs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Oscar G. Bukstein M.D., M.P.H.

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Aaron Roberto M.D.

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  1. Oscar G. Bukstein M.D., M.P.H.
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Correspondence to Oscar G. Bukstein M.D., M.P.H. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA

    W. Burleson Daviss

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Bukstein, O.G., Roberto, A. (2018). Moodiness in Patients with ADHD and Substance Use Disorders. In: Daviss, W. (eds) Moodiness in ADHD. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64251-2_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64251-2_10

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