ArticleBMC psychiatry2014
Everyday life consequences of substance use in adult patients with a substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a patient's perspective.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of substance use screening in outpatient behavioral health settings.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2023Pooled it
- The Impact of Pharmacotherapy of Childhood-Onset Psychiatric Disorders on the Development of Substance Use Disorders.Journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology · 2022Pooled it
- Substance Use Disorder Outcomes and Treatment by Autism Status in Medicaid Enrollees With Substance Use Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026Article
- Consequences of Prolonged Substance Use Disorder in Psychosis, ADHD and Violence: 6 Month Follow-Up Study.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Factors Associated with Reduced Clinical Response in Adult ADHD: The Role of Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- How does 'autistic burnout' feel? A qualitative study exploring experiences of earlier and later-diagnosed autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2026Article
- Sensory Processing in People Experiencing Homelessness in Spain: A Pilot Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Comparing the prevalence of substance use disorders between persons with and without autism spectrum disorders.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2025Article
- Alcohol use among populations with autism spectrum disorder: narrative systematic review.BJPsych open · 2025Review
- Autistic Traits, Emotion Regulation, Social Anxiety, Drinking to Cope, and Problematic Alcohol Use: A Cross-Cultural Examination Among Young Adults from Seven Countries.Substance use & misuse · 2025Article
- "Dysregulated not deficit": A qualitative study on symptomatology of ADHD in young adults.PloS one · 2023Article
- Reasons for alcohol use and non-use by underage U.S. autistic youth: A qualitative study.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2023Article
- Adapting Drug and Alcohol Therapies for Autistic Adults.Autism in adulthood · 2022Article
- A national profile of substance use disorder among Medicaid enrollees on the autism spectrum or with intellectual disability.Disability and health journal · 2022Article
- The lived experiences of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A rapid review of qualitative evidence.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Review
- Demographic and psychological predictors of alcohol use and misuse in autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2021Article
- Insomnia, Alcohol Consumption and ADHD Symptoms in Adults.Frontiers in psychology · 2020Article
- History of regular nonmedical sedative and/or alcohol use differentiates substance-use patterns and consequences among chronic heroin users.Addictive behaviors · 2019Article
- Comorbidity and sociodemographic characteristics of adult autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: epidemiological investigation in the World Mental Health Japan 2nd Survey.International journal of developmental disabilities · 2019Article
- Treating Patients With Co-occurring Autism Spectrum Disorder and Substance Use Disorder: A Clinical Explorative Study.Substance abuse : research and treatment · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlthough the prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) with co-occurring attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is relatively high in adult patients, there is hardly any knowledge about these dual diagnoses. A recent study reported met- and unmet needs for several life domains regarding these patient groups. To improve treatment, it is necessary to identify the everyday life consequences of SUD and co-occurring ADHD or ASD in adult patients.
methodsQualitative study using in-depth interviews. 11 SUD + ADHD and 12 SUD + ASD patients participated in the study. The interview transcripts were coded and analysed according to the seven steps for descriptive phenomenology by Colaizzi.
resultsBoth patients with ADHD and patients with ASD can get caught in a jumble of thoughts and emotions which can often lead to agitation and impulsivity in the case of ADHD or passivity and melancholia in the case of ASD with co-occurring SUD in both cases. Initially substance use ameliorates the symptoms and related problems, but both patient groups can later experience even greater problems: difficulties with the structuring of daily life due to a lack of planning (SUD + ADHD) or due to a lack of initiative (SUD + ASD). Both groups indicate that structure helps them function better. They also recognize that substance use disorganizes their lives and that an absence of structure contributes to substance use in what becomes a vicious circle which needs to be broken for effective treatment and care.
conclusionsThis study provides insight into the daily life consequences of SUD with a co-occurring ADHD or ASD. Substance use is reported to solve some ADHD- or ASD-related problems in the short run but have negative consequences in the long run (i.e., contribute to already impaired cognitive functioning). Insight is provided into what clinicians can do to break this vicious circle and thus help ADHD patients to refrain from action and ASD patients to take action.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.