Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and nonsuicidal self-injury among veterans with complex psychiatric presentations

Mariah K Evans; Jeremy L Grove; Tapan A Patel; Molly Gromatsky; Patrick S Calhoun; Jean C Beckham; Nathan A Kimbrel

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114618

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and nonsuicidal self-injury among veterans with complex psychiatric presentations

Psychiatry Res. 2022 Aug:314:114618. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114618. Epub 2022 May 10.

Authors

Mariah K Evans¹, Jeremy L Grove¹, Tapan A Patel¹, Molly Gromatsky², Patrick S Calhoun³, Jean C Beckham⁴, Nathan A Kimbrel⁵

Affiliations

¹ Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
² VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
³ Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA.; VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham, NC, USA.
⁴ Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
⁵ Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA.; VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: Nathan.Kimbrel@va.gov.

Abstract

Prior research suggests a possible association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in veterans. However, this association has not yet been replicated. The present study sought to replicate and expand upon this association in a gender-balanced sample of veterans (N = 124), more than half of whom had a lifetime history of NSSI. Contrary to hypotheses, adult ADHD symptoms were not associated with NSSI history or disorder. Instead, our findings suggest that disorders characterized by negative affect may have greater utility for predicting NSSI versus those characterized by impulsivity. Further research in epidemiological samples is needed.

Keywords: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; Impulsivity; Major Depressive Disorder; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Veterans.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adult
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity* / psychology
Humans
Risk Factors
Self-Injurious Behavior* / epidemiology
Self-Injurious Behavior* / psychology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / psychology
Veterans* / psychology

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding