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Objective: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on smoking cessation and other smoking related factors.
Methods: This study was carried out at the Smoking Addiction Centre of Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine. The individuals, who had been admitted for smoking cessation met the diagnostic criteria for nicotine dependence according to the DSM-IV. In this study, all participants were evaluated by using the sociodemographic data form prepared by the researchers, the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults and Fagerstrom Tolerance Test for Nicotine Dependency (FTND). The tests were administered at the beginning of the study and routine follow-up and the treatment has begun. Six months after the commencement of the treatment program, all participants were questioned about smoking cessation status by face-to-face interview or phone call. The participants with a score of 36 and over on WURS were classified as having ADHD and the participants with and without ADHD were compared in terms of smoking cessation success and other parameters.
Results: A total number of 356 smokers were enrolled in the study. 99 patients had 36 or higher scores from Wender Utah scale. For the 356 participants, mean FTND score was 5.19±2.20 and mean WURS score was 26.11±18.95. Of the 99 patients 11 (%11.1) had quitted smoking while 68 (%26.5) of non ADHD (257) quitted smoking during six month period. The statistical differences found between the two study groups are shown in Table 1.
Conclusions: In addition to the age of onset of smoking, daily amount of the cigarettes smoked and the continuation of regular cigarette smoking, ADHD can also affect the smoking cessation rates. Our results suggest that individuals with and without ADHD may have differences in the rate of smoking cessation and in the ability to maintain smoking abstinence. The mechanisms underlying negative effects of ADHD on smoking cessation remains to be elucidated. In fact, it may be possible that individuals with ADHD use nicotine as a self-medication because of its cognitive and behavioral effects.