Understanding the Diversity of Pharmacotherapeutic Management of ADHD With Co-occurring Autism: An Australian Cross-Sectional Survey
ObjectivesAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently co-occurs with other neurodevelopmental diagnoses, such as autism spectrum disorder (autism), which can make clinical decision making around symptom management challenging for clinicians. There is a paucity of research examining ph...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.914668/full |
| _version_ | 1818545677587709952 |
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| author | Olivia J. Mellahn Rachael Knott Jeggan Tiego Kathryn Kallady Katrina Williams Katrina Williams Mark A. Bellgrove Beth P. Johnson |
| author_facet | Olivia J. Mellahn Rachael Knott Jeggan Tiego Kathryn Kallady Katrina Williams Katrina Williams Mark A. Bellgrove Beth P. Johnson |
| author_sort | Olivia J. Mellahn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectivesAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently co-occurs with other neurodevelopmental diagnoses, such as autism spectrum disorder (autism), which can make clinical decision making around symptom management challenging for clinicians. There is a paucity of research examining pharmacotherapeutic management of children who have ADHD with co-occurring diagnoses. We aimed to report on the co-occurring diagnoses and symptom profile of children, and report on medication use, stratified by ADHD, autism and ADHD + autism diagnoses.Methods and MaterialsCaregivers of 505 children (2–18 years) with ADHD (n = 239), autism (n = 117), and co-occurring ADHD + autism (n = 149) completed a questionnaire on current medication use and clinical rating scales about their child's symptoms, as part of a broader project investigating diagnosis and management of symptoms in children with ADHD or autism.ResultsThe parents of the ADHD group reported a higher proportion of their children had learning disorders (17.15%) and speech and language disorders (4.60%) compared to the parents of the autism and ADHD + autism groups. Parents of the ADHD + autism group reported higher proportions of intellectual disability (5.37%), oppositional defiant disorder (20.13%), anxiety (38.93%), depression (6.71%) and genetic conditions (3.36%) in their children, in comparison to the parents of the ADHD and autism groups. Children with ADHD were reported to be taking a higher proportion of psychotropic medication (90%), followed by ADHD + autism (86%) and autism (39%). The parents of children with ADHD + autism reported a higher proportion of non-stimulant ADHD medication (25.5%), antipsychotic (18.79%), antidepressant (22.15%) and melatonin (31.54%) use by their children, compared to the parents of the ADHD and autism groups.ConclusionsA similar proportion of children with ADHD + autism and ADHD were reported to be taking medication. However, the types of medication taken were different, as expected with reported co-occurring diagnoses. The complexity of symptoms and diagnoses in ADHD + autism warrants targeted research to optimize management and therapeutic outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T07:43:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5bd053bbc2234b0aad44abeaed707733 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T07:43:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-5bd053bbc2234b0aad44abeaed7077332022-12-22T00:32:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402022-06-011310.3389/fpsyt.2022.914668914668Understanding the Diversity of Pharmacotherapeutic Management of ADHD With Co-occurring Autism: An Australian Cross-Sectional SurveyOlivia J. Mellahn0Rachael Knott1Jeggan Tiego2Kathryn Kallady3Katrina Williams4Katrina Williams5Mark A. Bellgrove6Beth P. Johnson7Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaDepartment of Paediatrics, Paediatrics Education & Research, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaDevelopmental Paediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaObjectivesAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently co-occurs with other neurodevelopmental diagnoses, such as autism spectrum disorder (autism), which can make clinical decision making around symptom management challenging for clinicians. There is a paucity of research examining pharmacotherapeutic management of children who have ADHD with co-occurring diagnoses. We aimed to report on the co-occurring diagnoses and symptom profile of children, and report on medication use, stratified by ADHD, autism and ADHD + autism diagnoses.Methods and MaterialsCaregivers of 505 children (2–18 years) with ADHD (n = 239), autism (n = 117), and co-occurring ADHD + autism (n = 149) completed a questionnaire on current medication use and clinical rating scales about their child's symptoms, as part of a broader project investigating diagnosis and management of symptoms in children with ADHD or autism.ResultsThe parents of the ADHD group reported a higher proportion of their children had learning disorders (17.15%) and speech and language disorders (4.60%) compared to the parents of the autism and ADHD + autism groups. Parents of the ADHD + autism group reported higher proportions of intellectual disability (5.37%), oppositional defiant disorder (20.13%), anxiety (38.93%), depression (6.71%) and genetic conditions (3.36%) in their children, in comparison to the parents of the ADHD and autism groups. Children with ADHD were reported to be taking a higher proportion of psychotropic medication (90%), followed by ADHD + autism (86%) and autism (39%). The parents of children with ADHD + autism reported a higher proportion of non-stimulant ADHD medication (25.5%), antipsychotic (18.79%), antidepressant (22.15%) and melatonin (31.54%) use by their children, compared to the parents of the ADHD and autism groups.ConclusionsA similar proportion of children with ADHD + autism and ADHD were reported to be taking medication. However, the types of medication taken were different, as expected with reported co-occurring diagnoses. The complexity of symptoms and diagnoses in ADHD + autism warrants targeted research to optimize management and therapeutic outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.914668/fullADHDattentionhyperactivityimpulsivitymethylphenidatepsychostimulant |
| spellingShingle | Olivia J. Mellahn Rachael Knott Jeggan Tiego Kathryn Kallady Katrina Williams Katrina Williams Mark A. Bellgrove Beth P. Johnson Understanding the Diversity of Pharmacotherapeutic Management of ADHD With Co-occurring Autism: An Australian Cross-Sectional Survey Frontiers in Psychiatry ADHD attention hyperactivity impulsivity methylphenidate psychostimulant |
| title | Understanding the Diversity of Pharmacotherapeutic Management of ADHD With Co-occurring Autism: An Australian Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_full | Understanding the Diversity of Pharmacotherapeutic Management of ADHD With Co-occurring Autism: An Australian Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the Diversity of Pharmacotherapeutic Management of ADHD With Co-occurring Autism: An Australian Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the Diversity of Pharmacotherapeutic Management of ADHD With Co-occurring Autism: An Australian Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_short | Understanding the Diversity of Pharmacotherapeutic Management of ADHD With Co-occurring Autism: An Australian Cross-Sectional Survey |
| title_sort | understanding the diversity of pharmacotherapeutic management of adhd with co occurring autism an australian cross sectional survey |
| topic | ADHD attention hyperactivity impulsivity methylphenidate psychostimulant |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.914668/full |
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