Adult ADHD Is Associated With Gambling Severity and Psychiatric Comorbidity Among Treatment-Seeking Problem Gamblers.

The aim of this study is as follows: (a) exploring retrospective childhood and adult ADHD symptomatology in treatment-seeking gamblers, (b) providing detailed characteristics of the association between pathological gambling (PG) and ADHD, and (c) identifying risk factors for a history of ADHD. Eighty problem gamblers (20% female) were examined using a standardized interview (PG: [4th ed.; ] criteria, Gambling Attitudes and Beliefs Survey; ADHD: Wender Utah Rating Scale-, Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale; comorbidities: Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). Forty-three percentage of patients screened positive for childhood ADHD, and in 11%, ADHD persisted in adulthood. Patients with adult ADHD had more severe gambling problems ( = .009, = 1.03) and a higher number of psychiatric comorbidities ( < .001, = 1.62) compared with those without ADHD. Substance abuse/dependence constituted a predictor for having a history of ADHD (odds ratio [OR] = 4.07, = .025). ADHD-PG comorbidity is linked to factors that worsen the prognosis. Thus, screening for ADHD and verifying persistence in adulthood should be an integral component in the treatment of problem/pathological gamblers.