Disagreeing about development: An analysis of parent‐teacher agreement in ADHD symptom trajectories across the elementary school years

Objectives

It is well‐known that in cross‐sectional analyses, agreement between informants is modest as best when rating attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other disruptive behaviour disorder symptoms. We here aimed to develop recommendations for the use of multi‐informant data in the context of longitudinal developmental analyses that examine symptom trajectories over time.

Method

Using parallel process modelling, we estimated parent–teacher agreement in inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom initial levels and slopes across the elementary school years (ages 7, 9, and 11) for a community sample of n = 1,388 youth. We also used these models to examine whether initial levels and slopes differed significantly across informants.

Results

Informant agreement was low to moderate and higher for inattention slopes (r = .47) than for hyperactivity/impulsivity slopes (r = .23). Parents and teachers reported opposite developmental trends for inattention with teachers reporting declines and parents reporting increases over time. Parents reported overall higher levels of hyperactivity/impulsivity, but there were no average informant differences in slopes.

Conclusion

Of the options available, we recommend specifying separate but correlated factors for different informants in developmental analyses of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This can be achieved within latent growth curve and growth mixture models.

     

The adolescent onset anorexia nervosa study (ANABEL): Design and baseline results

The anorexia nervosa adolescent longitudinal biomarker assessment study (ANABEL) is a 2‐year longitudinal study.

Objective

Evaluate several clinical, biochemical, immunological, psychological, and family variables and their interactions in adolescent onset eating disorders (EDs) patients and their 2‐year clinical and biological outcome. This article illustrates the framework and the methodology behind the research questions, as well as describing general features of the sample.

Methods

A longitudinal study of 114 adolescents with EDs seeking treatment was performed. Only adolescents were selected during 4 years (2009–2013). The variables were collected at different times: baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of the start of treatment. Diagnoses were completed through the semi‐structured Kiddie‐Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia interview.

Results

At baseline, the mean age was 15.11 (SD = 1.36). The mean ED duration was 10 months (SD = 5.75). The mean body mass index was 16.1 (SD = 1.8). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition diagnosis at baseline for restrictive anorexia nervosa was 69.6%, 17.4% for purgative anorexia nervosa, and 24.3% for other specified feeding disorder. At 12 months, 19.4% were in partial remission, whereas at 24 months, 13.8% had fully recovered and 29.2% had partially recovered.

Conclusions

There was an acceptable physical and psychopathological improvement during the first year of treatment, with recovery being more evident during the first 6 months.

     

The quality of randomized controlled trials of psychotherapy for eating disorders

Objective

We investigated the quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that included direct comparisons of psychotherapy for adults with an eating disorder (ED).

Method

Thirty‐five direct comparison RCTs of psychotherapy for adults diagnosed with an ED were rated using the Randomized Controlled Trials Psychotherapy Quality Rating Scale (RCT‐PQRS).

Results

The mean total RCT‐PQRS score (mean = 28.26; SD = 7.04) was in line with those that were reported for RCTs of psychotherapy for depression and anxiety disorders. Several standards of quality were unfulfilled by over half of the RCTs of treatment for EDs, including therapist supervision while treatment was being provided (62.9% unfulfilled); outcome assessment performed by raters blind to treatment group/condition (54% unfulfilled); and adequate sample size (66% unfulfilled). More recent RCTs were of higher quality, and higher quality was moderately associated with lower effect sizes.

Conclusions

To improve the quality of RCTs of psychotherapy of EDs, we recommend that researchers address the quality criteria listed in the RCT‐PQRS. Psychotherapy trials should be registered, have a published protocol, and be reported following the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines. Authors should take into account the quality of the research when using that research to inform ED treatment guidelines.

     

The CZEch Mental health Study (CZEMS): Study rationale,design, and methods

Objectives

The CZEch Mental health Study (CZEMS) was launched to inform the ongoing mental health care reform. This paper describes rationale, methods, and the plan for the future analyses of this project.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey on a representative sample of the general adult noninstitutionalized population of the Czech Republic was conducted. Two‐stage sampling was utilized and respondents were interviewed by centrally trained staff using a paper and pencil interviewing. The presence of mental disorders was assessed by The Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The study also collected information about disability, self‐identification of having a mental illness, medical history, and help‐seeking behaviour.

Results

This survey had a 75% response rate, and the final sample consisted of 3,306 persons aged from 18 to 96 years (mean age 49 years old, 54% women) that were interviewed in their homes. The final sample is representative for the Czech Republic in terms of age, gender, education, and region.

Conclusions

CZEMS will provide up‐to‐date evidence about a prevalence of mental disorders in the Czech Republic, associated disability, and treatment gap. This will help informed decision‐making about the current mental health care reform and future mental health care development in the Czech Republic.

     

Female–male differences in alcohol dependence levels: Evidence on newly incident adolescent and young‐adult drinkers in the United States, 2002–2014

Objective

In this study of newly incident drinkers (NIDs), we (a) investigate and calibrate measurement equivalence of 7 clinical features of an alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) across sex and age‐of‐onset subgroups and (b) estimate female–male differences in ADS levels soon after taking the first full drink, with focus on those with first full drink before the 24th birthday.

Methods

The study population is 12‐ to 23‐year‐old NIDs living in the United States (n = 33,561). Calibrated for measurement equivalence, male–female differences in levels of newly incident ADS are estimated for 6 age‐of‐onset subgroups.

Results

Measurement equivalence is achieved by dropping the “difficulty cutting down” item. Then, among early‐adolescent‐onset NID, females have higher ADS levels (for 12‐ to 13‐year‐old NID: β = .25; 95% CI [0.05, 0.45]). In contrast, when drinking onset is delayed to adulthood, males have higher ADS levels (e.g., for 18‐ to 19‐year‐old NID: β = ?.27; 95% CI [?0.52, ?0.02]; for 20‐ to 21‐year‐old NID: β = ?.38; 95% CI [?0.65, ?0.12]).

Conclusions

In the United States, there is female excess in ADS levels measured soon after drinking onset in early adolescence. The traditional male excess is seen when drinking onset occurs after mid‐adolescence. Evidence from other countries will be useful.

     

The New York City Mental Health Needs Assessment Study (MHNAS): Objectives,design, and methods

Objectives

This paper describes the objectives, design, and methods of the Mental Health Needs Assessment Study (MHNAS). The objective of the MHNAS was to assess the needs of individuals transitioning to the community following psychiatric hospitalization and again 3–5 months later to inform community service planning. Needs were defined broadly to include domains like housing, employment, treatment, and social support.

Methods

The MHNAS used a 2‐stage clustered sampling approach where the primary sampling units were hospitals and secondary sampling units were patients. The study included an in‐person patient interview, an assessment of need from a key hospital worker, and a follow‐up telephone interview 3–5 months after discharge.

Results

One thousand one hundred twenty‐nine patients from 8 randomly selected hospitals participated. The overall response rate was 54.3% with a cooperation rate of 71.8%. The sample was similar to the overall population of psychiatric patients with respect to several key demographics.

Conclusion

The MHNAS demonstrates the feasibility of conducting a needs assessment with a random sample of psychiatric inpatients in a large urban setting. Results from this study may improve community service planning to better meet individuals' needs, with the ultimate goal of reducing rehospitalization and promoting recovery.

     

Violence and child mental health in Brazil: The Itaboraí Youth Study methods and findings

Objectives

To demonstrate a study design that could be useful in low‐resource and violent urban settings and to estimate the prevalence of child violence exposure (at home, community, and school) and child mental health problems in a low‐income medium‐size city.

Methods

The Itaboraí Youth Study is a Norway–Brazil collaborative longitudinal study conducted in Itaboraí city (n = 1409, 6–15 year olds). A 3‐stage probabilistic sampling plan (random selection of census units, eligible households, and target child) generated sampling weights that were used to obtain estimates of population prevalence rates.

Results

Study strengths include previous pilot study and focus groups (testing procedures and comprehension of questionnaire items), longitudinal design (2 assessment periods with a mean interval of 12.9 months), high response rate (>80%), use of standardized instruments, different informants (mother and adolescent), face‐to‐face interviews to avoid errors due to the high frequency of low‐educated respondents, and information gathered on a variety of potential predictors and protective factors. Children and adolescents presented relevant levels of violence exposure and clinical mental health problems.

Conclusions

Prevalence estimates are probably valid to other Brazilian low‐income medium‐size cities due to similarities in terms of precarious living conditions. Described study methods could be useful in other poor and violent world regions .

     

Measuring child and adolescent emotional lability: How do questionnaire‐based ratings relate to experienced and observed emotion in everyday life and experimental settings?

Objectives

Emotional lability (EL) is an important trans‐diagnostic concept that is associated with significant functional impairment in childhood and adolescence. EL is typically measured with questionnaires, although little is known about the ecological validity of these ratings. In this paper, we undertook 2 studies addressing this issue by examining the relationship between rating‐based measures of EL and directly measured emotional expressions and experiences. Furthermore, the associations between directly measured emotional expressions and experiences and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology were also examined, given the clear association of EL with ADHD in former research.

Methods

In Study 1, we examined the relationship between parental report of children's EL and ADHD, and children's emotional expressions in an experimental context (N = 67). In Study 2, we examined the relationship between parental ratings and real‐time measures of emotional experiences in daily life in adolescents (N = 65).

Results

EL ratings were associated with different elements of real‐time emotional experiences and expressions. Elements of emotional expressions but not emotional experiences were also associated with ADHD symptom reports.

Conclusions

These studies provide evidence for the ecological validity of EL ratings. Furthermore, they add evidence for the associations between EL and ADHD.

     

Content overlap analysis of 64 (hypo)mania symptoms among seven common rating scales

Objectives

Fried ( 2017 ) quantified the overlap of items among seven widely used depression rating scales. The analysis revealed substantial heterogeneity of the depressive syndromes and a low overlap among the scales. To our best knowledge, there are no studies evaluating the content overlap of (hypo)mania scales. The goal of our study, therefore, is to quantify the overlap of items among seven widely used (hypo)manic scales, implementing the methodology developed by Fried ( 2017 ).

Methods

Seven commonly used (hypo)manic scales underwent content analysis. Symptom overlap was evaluated with the use of the Jaccard index (0 = no overlap, 1 = full overlap). In case of every scale, rates of idiosyncratic symptoms and rates of specific versus compound symptoms were calculated.

Results

The seven scales gathered 64 hypo(manic) symptoms. The mean overlap among all of the instruments was low (0.35), the mean overlap of each scale with all others ranged from 0.29% to 0.48%, and the overlap among individual scales ranged from 0.20% to 0.65. Thirty‐six percent of symptoms appeared only on one scale. Only 6% of the symptoms appeared on all of the instruments.

Conclusions

We have shown that using (hypo)manic scales as interchangeable measurements may be problematic.

     

Sparse multiple factor analysis to integrate genetic data,neuroimaging features,and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder domains

Objectives

We proposed the application of a multivariate cross‐sectional framework based on a combination of a variable selection method and a multiple factor analysis (MFA) in order to identify complex meaningful biological signals related to attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and hyperactivity/inattention domains.

Methods

The study included 135 children from the general population with genomic and neuroimaging data. ADHD symptoms were assessed using a questionnaire based on ADHD‐DSM‐IV criteria. In all analyses, the raw sum scores of the hyperactivity and inattention domains and total ADHD were used. The analytical framework comprised two steps. First, zero‐inflated negative binomial linear model via penalized maximum likelihood (LASSO‐ZINB) was performed. Second, the most predictive features obtained with LASSO‐ZINB were used as input for the MFA.

Results

We observed significant relationships between ADHD symptoms and hyperactivity and inattention domains with white matter, gray matter regions, and cerebellum, as well as with loci within chromosome 1.

Conclusions

Multivariate methods can be used to advance the neurobiological characterization of complex diseases, improving the statistical power with respect to univariate methods, allowing the identification of meaningful biological signals in Imaging Genetic studies.

     

Adaptation and validation of short scales for assessment of psychological distress in Iran: The Persian K10 and K6

Objectives

The aims of the study were to translate into Persian and culturally adapt the Kessler Psychological Distress Scales, K10 and K6, and to assess their reliability and validity.

Method

The sample was recruited from primary health care (PHC) settings by quota nonprobability sampling, stratified by sex and age. Validity was assessed against the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (v2.1). The psychometric properties of K6 and K10 were also compared with the 12‐item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12).

Results

A total of 818 participants completed the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha were 0.92 and 0.87 for K6 and K10, respectively. Optimal cutoff scores for detecting any mood or anxiety disorder in the past 30 days were 15 for K10 and 10 for K6. At these cutoff points, the measures had sensitivities of 0.77 and 0.73, specificities of 0.74 and 0.78, and positive predictive values of 0.48 and 0.52, respectively. Psychometric properties of K10 and K6 were similar to GHQ‐12.

Conclusion

Persian K10 and K6 have acceptable psychometric properties as screening instruments for common mental health conditions. Given its brevity and similar psychometric properties to the longer instruments, the Persian K6 appears to be a suitable scale for use in PHC settings and, possibly, epidemiologic studies in Iran.

     

Validation of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) and Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) in New Zealand help‐seeking adolescents

Objective

This study examines the reliability and validity of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) and Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) for measuring depression in New Zealand help‐seeking adolescents.

Method

A sample of 183 adolescents completed the 33‐item MFQ, which includes all 13 items on the SMFQ, at three time points during a trial of a computerized intervention for depression.

Results

Both the MFQ and SMFQ demonstrated good to excellent Cronbach's alphas, moderate to strong item‐total score correlations, moderate to strong correlations with quality of life and anxiety measures, and strong correlations with the clinician‐rated Children's Depression Rating Scale—Revised and the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale 2 at all time points, indicating good reliability and content, convergent, and concurrent validities, respectively. Favoring sensitivity over specificity, the optimal cut‐off value for differentiating depressed from nondepressed cases for the MFQ was ≥28 and for the SMFQ was ≥12. Both instruments demonstrated satisfactory diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity to change.

Conclusion

The MFQ and SMFQ are free and simple instruments that can be used to identify depression and measure symptom change in New Zealand help‐seeking adolescents.

     

Methods to reduce false reporting of substance abstinence in clinical research

Objectives

Substance use may influence study results in human subjects research. This study aims to report the concordance between self‐report and biochemical assessments of substance use and test the effect of methods to reduce false reports of abstinence in trauma‐exposed women participating in a research study.

Methods

In this pilot study, substance use was assessed during telephone prescreening and via self‐report and biochemical verification (i.e., urine toxicology and alcohol breathalyzer tests) at an in‐person evaluation. Due to the high number of participants who tested positive for substances despite self‐reporting abstinence during prescreening, study procedures were modified to disincentivize false self‐reports of substance use two thirds of the way through recruitment. New potential participants were explicitly informed during prescreening and informed consent that a positive drug or alcohol test during screening would result in exclusion from the study and withholding of payment.

Results

Prior to modifying study methods, 20% of participants who had reported abstinence during the telephone prescreen had a positive substance use test at the in‐person visit. Modifying study procedures resulted in an 81% decrease in positive substance use assessments.

Conclusions

Adoption of this methodology may decrease inadvertent confounding of clinical research outcomes by undetected and/or misreported substance use.

     

A re‐examination of the BIS/BAS scales: Evidence for BIS and BAS as unidimensional scales

Objectives

Carver and White's behavioral inhibition system and behavioral activation system (BIS/BAS) scales are the most widely used to assess constructs of the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory. This study provides a re‐examination of the latent structure of the original BIS/BAS scales.

Methods

The interpretability of the three purported BAS subfactors relative to a “general behavioral activation” factor was assessed using Schmid–Leiman and standard confirmatory factor analysis. Regarding the BIS scale, comparisons were made between (a) Carver and White's unidimensional BIS model, (b) Johnson, Turner, and Iwata's 2‐factor BIS model, (c) Heym, Ferguson, and Lawrence's alternative 2‐factor BIS model, and (d) a modified Heym et al. model (unidimensional) controlling for method effects of reverse‐scored items.

Results

Results revealed the majority of variance of individual BAS items was accounted for by a common, general BAS dimension. Additionally, for the BIS scale, results of the χ² difference statistical test supporting the 1‐factor model, as well as the noted theoretical and psychometric difficulties in interpreting a multifactor BIS scale, provide converging support that BIS items actually represent a single, unidimensional factor.

Conclusions

The collective results suggested that the BIS and BAS scales should be conceptualized as separate unidimensional measures, which is consistent with theory behind the original development.

     

Longterm persistence and nonrecurrence of depression treatment in Germany: a four‐year retrospective follow‐up using linked claims data

Objectives

To measure persistence and nonrecurrence of depression treatment and investigate potential risk factors.

Methods

We retrospectively observed a closed cohort of insurees with new‐onset depression treatment in 2007 and without most psychiatric comorbidity for 16 quarters (plus one to ascertain discontinuation). We linked inpatient/outpatient/drug‐data per person and quarter. Person‐quarters containing specified depression services were classified as depression‐treatment‐person‐quarters (DTPQ). We defined longterm‐DTPQ‐persistence as 16 + 1 continuous DTPQ and longterm‐DTPQ‐nonrecurrence as 12 continuous quarters without DTPQ and used multivariate logistic regression to explore associations with these outcomes.

Results

Within first 16 quarters, 28,348 patients' first period (total time) persisted for a mean/median 5.4/3 (8.7/8) quarters. Fourteen percent had longterm‐DTPQ‐persistence, associated (p < .05) with baseline hospital (odds ratio, OR = 1.80), psychotherapy/specialist‐interview and antidepressants (OR = 1.81), age (years, OR = 1.03), unemployment (OR = 1.21), retirement (OR = 1.31), and insured as a dependent (OR = 1.32). Thirty‐four percent had longterm‐DTPQ‐nonrecurrence, associated with psychotherapy/specialist‐interview (OR = 1.40), antidepressants (OR = 0.54), female sex (OR = 0.84), age (years, OR = 0.99), retirement (OR = 1.18), and insured as a dependent (OR = 0.88). Women differed for episodic and not chronic treatment.

Conclusion

Treatment measures compared to survey's symptoms measures. We suggest further research on “treatment‐free‐time.” Antidepressants(?) and psychotherapy/specialist‐interview(+) were significantly associated with longterm‐DTPQ‐nonrecurrence. This was presumably moderated by possible short‐time/low‐dosage antidepressants use(?) and selective therapy assignment(+). Sample selectivity limited data misclassification.

     

The Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire for self‐assessment of basic symptoms in the early detection of psychosis—Factor structure,reliability, and predictive validity

Objectives

Patients with schizophrenia often experience subtle disturbances in several domains of information processing—so‐called basic symptoms (BS). BS are already present before onset of frank psychosis and can be assessed by interviews but also by the self‐administered Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FCQ). We investigated the factor structure, reliability, and predictive validity for transition to psychosis of the FCQ, comparing previously proposed factor solutions containing 1, 2, 4, and 10 factors.

Methods

Confirmatory factor analysis was used in a sample of 117 at‐risk mental state and 92 first‐episode psychosis participants of the Basel FePsy (early detection of psychosis) study.

Results

Although all factor models fitted to the data, the 2‐ or 4‐factor solutions performed best among the models that used at least half of the FCQ items, suggesting the covariance between FCQ items is best explained by 2 to 4 underlying factors. No FCQ‐scale predicted transition to psychosis.

Conclusion

We could confirm a 2‐ to 4‐factor structure of the FCQ in a sample of at‐risk mental state and first‐episode psychosis patients using confirmatory factor analysis. Contrary to interview‐assessed cognitive–perceptive BS, self‐assessed BS do not seem to improve prediction of psychosis. This result reinforces reports of poor correspondence between interview‐ and questionnaire‐assessed BS.

     

Estimating correlations among cardiovascular patients' psychiatric and physical symptom indicators: The biplot in correspondence analysis approach

Objectives

We employed the correspondence analysis (CA) biplot to estimate correlations between gender–age levels of cardiovascular disease patients and their psychiatric and physical symptoms. Utilization of this correlation estimation can inform clinical practice by elucidating associations between certain psychiatric or physical symptoms and specific gender–age levels.

Method

The CA biplot utilized here was designed to visually inspect row–column category associations in a 2‐dimensional plane and then to numerically estimate the category associations with correlations. To do so, we (a) estimated dimensions from row and column categories with CA; (b) verified statistical significance of dimensions with a permutation test; (c) projected row and column categories in a plan constructed with the first 2 dimensions that were statistically significant; (d) visually inspected category associations in the plane; and (e) numerically estimated category associations with correlations.

Results

Consistent with the previous results, female cardiovascular disease patients were more likely to experience psychiatric symptoms than the male patients. However, when examining the results by gender and age, both female and male patients in their 50s and 60s tended to experience elevated rates of the psychiatric symptoms.

Conclusions

The CA biplot can be useful for isolating key clinical concerns among any medical populations.

     

Tracing scientific reasoning in psychiatry: Reporting of statistical inference in abstracts of top journals 1975–2015

Objective

To analyze the reporting of statistical inference in psychiatry.

Method

We searched 63,928 abstracts, published in 15 leading psychiatric journals (1975–2015).

Results

Median abstract length increased from 664 (1975) to 1,323 (2015) characters, and median use of numbers from two to 14/abstract. A total of 3.6% of all abstracts exclusively contained significance terminology in a nonstatistical sense, and 45% showed some form of statistical inference, increasing from 26% to 52%. In those abstracts, statistical inference based on thresholds was dominant. Its proportion decreased from 99% to 66%, but with rising numbers of articles, figures rose from 1,095 to 2,382. Although reporting p values without thresholds did not appear 40 years ago and remains rare, combining precise p values with thresholds is now common. In 2010–2015, 86% of abstracts contained p values or p value thresholds, 22% confidence intervals, and 7% confidence intervals only. Results varied across journals.

Conclusion

There is a moderate shift from reporting p values along set thresholds, such as p ≤ 0.05, to presenting precise p values and confidence intervals, but not as pronounced as in epidemiology and general medicine. The long debate on estimation over testing has not led to a substantial replacement of p values by confidence intervals. Null hypothesis testing (“p ≤ .05”) dominates statistical thinking.

     

Prospective: Is bipolar disorder being overdiagnosed?

Objectives

Many studies indicate that bipolar disorders are underdiagnosed. Yet from 2007 to 2008, a series of publications asserted that bipolar disorders were being overdiagnosed. This review examines the methods used in the studies that reported bipolar disorders were being overdiagnosed.

Methods

A literature search for studies with original data related to overdiagnosis of bipolar disorders was performed.

Results

Four studies were found indicating bipolar disorders were being overdiagnosed. The Structured Clinical Interview of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID) was used in the diagnostic process. The studies compared the clinical diagnosis of bipolar disorder to a single SCID interview without interviewing family or reviewing old records. The studies assumed the SCID diagnosis was correct.

Conclusions

Numerous concerns were found. The SCID frequently missed diagnosis of bipolar, the definitions of bipolar disorder are so narrow and conservative that the outcomes of the studies may have been predetermined. Ultimately, the studies compared the strength of a diagnosis made by a treating psychiatrist to a SCID diagnosis collected with virtually no information from the clinician. The assumption that the SCID diagnosis is always correct and the clinician is always wrong is unsupportable. The premise that bipolar disorders are being overdiagnosed is unsupported by reasonable science.

     

Evaluation of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio,platelet/lymphocyte ratio,and mean platelet volume as inflammatory markers in children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder

Aim

The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV) have recently been used as indicators of a systemic inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to investigate the relations of the NLR, PLR, MLR, and MPV with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods

The study group consisting of 82 children diagnosed with ADHD was compared with a healthy control (HC) group of 70 age‐, sex‐, and body‐mass‐index‐matched subjects. The NLR, PLR, MLR, and MPV were measured according to the complete blood count.

Results

The NLR, PLR, MLR, MPV, and neutrophil count of the ADHD group were significantly higher than those of the HC group. The lymphocyte counts of the patients were significantly lower than those of the HC group.

Conclusion

Inflammation might play a role in the etiopathogenesis of ADHD. The NLR, PLR, MLR, and MPV may be potential inflammation markers for ADHD in children.