A meta-analysis of the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in incarcerated populations

Summary & key facts

This meta-analysis pooled 42 studies of people in jails and prisons to find how common ADHD is in incarcerated groups. Using clinical diagnostic interviews, the combined ADHD rate was about 25.5%. The authors also report 30.1% in youth prison populations and 26.2% in adult prison populations, both much higher than typical general-population estimates (youth 3–7%, adults 1–5%). The review found higher rates when studies used screening tools, no clear gender or age differences by diagnostic interview, and important differences between countries and study methods.

Key facts:

• The review combined data from 42 studies of incarcerated populations.
• Using diagnostic clinical interviews, the estimated ADHD prevalence across studies was 25.5%.
• The authors report ADHD prevalence of 30.1% in youth prison populations, about five times higher than general-population youth estimates (3–7%).
• They report ADHD prevalence of 26.2% in adult prison populations, about ten times higher than general-population adult estimates (1–5%).
• Studies that used screening tools for ADHD tended to report higher prevalence than studies that used full diagnostic interviews.
• There were no significant differences in ADHD prevalence by gender or age when using diagnostic interview data.
• The authors noted significant differences between countries and variation in methods (for example, retrospective childhood diagnoses reported by adults versus current diagnoses).

Abstract

Compared with published general population prevalence, there is a fivefold increase in prevalence of ADHD in youth prison populations (30.1%) and a 10-fold increase in adult prison populations (26.2%).

Topics

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Bipolar Disorder and Treatment Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Psychiatry and Mental health

Tags

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Clinical psychology Covariate Demography Environmental health Epidemiology Internal medicine Mathematics Medical diagnosis Medicine Meta-analysis Pathology Population Prevalence Psychiatry Psychology Sociology Statistics

Conditions & symptoms

ADHD Difficulty focusing