ADHD and nonsuicidal self-injury in male veterans with and without PTSD

Nathan A Kimbrel; Laura C Wilson; John T Mitchell; Eric C Meyer; Bryann B DeBeer; Paul J Silvia; Kim L Gratz; Patrick S Calhoun; Jean C Beckham; Sandra B Morissette

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.02.015

ADHD and nonsuicidal self-injury in male veterans with and without PTSD

Psychiatry Res. 2017 Jun:252:161-163. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.02.015. Epub 2017 Feb 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: Nathan.Kimbrel@va.gov.
² University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA.
³ Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
⁴ VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX, USA; Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX, USA; Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX, USA.
⁵ University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
⁶ University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
⁷ VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; VA Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham, NC, USA.
⁸ VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
⁹ The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.

Abstract

The objective of the present research was to examine the association between ADHD symptoms and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in male Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans with and without PTSD. Approximately 25% of veterans screened positive for clinically-significant levels of ADHD. Male veterans with PTSD were significantly more likely to report ADHD symptoms than male veterans without PTSD. In addition, as expected, ADHD was strongly associated with NSSI, even after accounting for the effects of demographic variables, PTSD, depression, and alcohol use disorder. Future work aimed at replicating and extending these findings in longitudinal studies of veterans is needed.

Keywords: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; NSSI; Nonsuicidal self-injury; Posttraumatic stress disorder.

Published by Elsevier B.V.

MeSH terms

Adult
Afghan Campaign 2001-
Alcoholism / psychology
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / psychology*
Chi-Square Distribution
Depression / psychology
Humans
Iraq War, 2003-2011
Male
Middle Aged
Occupational Diseases / psychology*
Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology*
United States
Veterans / psychology*

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding