Comorbidità psichiatriche negli adulti con ADHD

Psychiatric Comorbidities in Adults with ADHD Speaker: *Francesco Rotella*, [email protected] Psychiatrist, Associate Professor, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Head of the Adult ADHD Outpatient Clinic - AUSL Toscana Centro, Careggi University Hospital You can download the slides at: https://bit.ly/4bYALcL ADHD in adults is a highly complex neurodevelopmental condition, associated with a significantly higher prevalence of other psychiatric disorders compared to individuals without ADHD. Comorbidity, in this context, cannot be considered an incidental event, but rather a structural dimension of the psychopathological functioning of adult patients with ADHD. Epidemiological evidence documents high rates of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders, and eating disorders. The traditional concept of "comorbidity" presupposes the existence of discrete and independent entities co-occurring in the same individual. However, it seems necessary to distinguish three different cases: independent co-presence, unidirectional causal relationship, and bidirectional relationship. In the context of ADHD, symptomatic overlap, shared neurobiological substrates (particularly in the frontostriatal circuits and dopaminergic reward systems), and the presence of cross-cutting dimensions such as impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, and impaired inhibitory control raise the question of whether these aspects may represent the phenotypic expression of independent vulnerabilities. At the same time, the presence of a specific psychiatric comorbidity provides important clinical information about the patient. During the intervention, data from major international studies will be compared with those obtained from the observation of a clinical sample recruited over a year of work at the adult ADHD outpatient clinic at the AOU-Careggi. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data will be presented to evaluate the efficacy of methylphenidate not only on core ADHD symptoms but also on comorbid symptoms. On the one hand, recognizing comorbidity means understanding the patient's functioning structure, identifying the predominant dysfunctional domains, and planning integrated and personalized interventions. On the other hand, methylphenidate therapy, in many cases, represents an effective therapeutic strategy not only for inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, but also for comorbid symptoms. ______________________________________ "ADHD in Children and Adults: Awareness and Multimodal Interventions" is the conference organized by AIFA APS, the Italian Association of ADHD Families, in collaboration with the Careggi University Hospital in Florence. Florence, February 21, 2026 #adhd #aifaaps #AssociazioneItalianaFamiglieADHD #comorbidity #florence #medications #integralinterventions