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Factors associated with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among medical students in Cameroon: a web-based cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION:Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic mental disorder that is associated with poor productivity, with a significant impact on the quality of life. OBJECTIVES:To determine factors associated with symptoms of ADHD among medical students in Cameroon. DESIGN:A web-based cross-sectional study. SETTING:Participants were recruited through a social media platform, WhatsApp, from 24 June to 2 September 2018. PARTICIPANTS:Medical students aged 18 years and older from seven medical schools in Cameroon. All non-medical students and all medical residents were excluded. RESULTS:Data from a total of 491 eligible participants were analysed. The median age was 25 (IQR 21-25)?years and 54% were of the participants were female. The prevalence of self-reported symptoms of ADHD was 24.4% (95% CI 20.6% to 28.3%). Histories of chronic disease (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.96; 95%?CI 1.49 to 5.86, p=0.002), family history of ADHD (AOR 3.38; 95%?CI 1.04 to 10.44, p=0.035), severe depression (AOR=3.49; 95%?CI 1.82 to 6.77, p<0.001) and anxiety disorder (AOR 2.06; 95% CI 1.25 to 3.36, p=0.004) were found to be independently associated with the symptoms of ADHD. CONCLUSION:ADHD may be a highly prevalent mental disorder among medical students, and is associated with severe depression, anxiety disorders and chronic diseases. There is a need to conduct a large-scale prospective cohort study with interviews to estimate the true prevalence and incidence of ADHD among medical students in Cameroon, and to determinant the risk factors associated with the disorder.

SUBMITTER: Njuwa KF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7228532 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Factors associated with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among medical students in Cameroon: a web-based cross-sectional study.

Njuwa Karl Fai KF Simo Larissa Pone LP Ntani Limnyuy Loweh LL Forchin Azumesi Nguni AN Parviel Chirsir C Tianyi Tianyi Frank Leonel FL Nsah Bernard B Agbor Valirie Ndip VN

BMJ open 20200507 5

<h4>Introduction</h4>Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic mental disorder that is associated with poor productivity, with a significant impact on the quality of life.<h4>Objectives</h4>To determine factors associated with symptoms of ADHD among medical students in Cameroon.<h4>Design</h4>A web-based cross-sectional study.<h4>Setting</h4>Participants were recruited through a social media platform, WhatsApp, from 24 June to 2 September 2018.<h4>Participants</h4>Medical stud ...[more]

PMID: 32385066

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Project description:BackgroundFor the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) proposes that adherence to six symptoms in either group (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) will lead to the diagnosis of one of three presentations of the disorder. Underlying this diagnostic algorithm is the assumption that the 18 symptoms have equal relevance for the diagnosis of ADHD, all are equally severe, and all have the same power to detect the presence of the disorder in all its degrees of severity, without considering the possibility of using marker symptoms. However, several studies have suggested that ADHD symptoms differ in both their power to discriminate the presence of the disorder and the degree of severity they represent. The aim of the present study was to replicate the results of previous research by evaluating the discriminative capacity and relative severity of ADHD symptoms, as well as to extend the investigation of this topic to Spanish-speaking Latin American samples.MethodsThe properties of ADHD symptoms rated by the parents of 474 Chilean children were analyzed. Symptom parameters were estimated using the graded response model.ResultsThe results suggest that symptoms of ADHD differ substantially in both the accuracy with which they reflect the presence of the disorder, and their relative severity. Symptoms "easily distracted by extraneous stimuli" and "have difficulty sustaining attention in tasks" (inattention) and "is on the go, acting as if driven by motor" (hyperactivity/impulsivity) were the most informative, and those with relatively lower severity thresholds.DiscussionThe fact that symptoms differ substantially in the probability of being observed conditionally to the trait level suggests the need to refine the diagnostic process by weighting the severity of the symptom, and even to assess the possibility of defining ADHD marker symptoms, as has been done in other disorders.

Project description:ObjectivesThere are numerous reports on the psychological burden of medical workers after the COVID-19 outbreak; however, no study has examined the influence of developmental characteristics on the mental health of medical workers. The objective of this study was to examine whether the developmental characteristics of medical workers are associated with anxiety and depression after the COVID-19 outbreak.DesignWe conducted an online cross-sectional questionnaire survey in October 2020.Participants and settingThe data of 640 medical workers were analysed. The questionnaire included items on sociodemographic data, changes in their life after the COVID-19 outbreak and symptoms of depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits and autism spectrum disorder traits.Main outcomesDepression symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and anxiety symptoms were assessed by the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to test the effects of developmental characteristics on depression and anxiety symptoms after controlling for sociodemographic factors and changes in participants' lives after the COVID-19 outbreak.ResultsIncreases in physical and psychological burden were observed in 49.1% and 78.3% of the subjects, respectively. The results of a multiple regression analysis showed that ADHD traits were significantly associated with both depression (β=0.390, p<0.001) and anxiety (β=0.426, p<0.001). Autistic traits were significantly associated with depression (β=0.069, p<0.05) but not anxiety. Increased physical and psychological burden, being female, medical workers other than physicians and nurses, fear of COVID-19 and experience of discrimination were also significantly associated with both depression and anxiety.ConclusionGlobally, the burden on medical workers increased. This study suggested that medical workers with higher ADHD traits may need special attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Factors associated with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among medical students in Cameroon: a web-based cross-sectional study.

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Factors associated with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among medical students in Cameroon: a web-based cross-sectional study.

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