Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42064157›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2026

Screening-positive attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms among incarcerated individuals in Paraguay: prevalence, psychological correlates, and criminological context.

Julio Torales, Lia Gonçalves Possuelo, Iván Barrios, Gladys Estigarribia, Gisselle Velázquez, Marcelo O'Higgins, João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia, Antonio Ventriglio, Alexander Smith, Ana Buadze and 1 more

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Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Julio Torales *Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil.
Lia Gonçalves Possuelo *Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil.
Iván Barrios *Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Sudamericana, Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay.
Gladys EstigarribiaFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Sudamericana, Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay.
Gisselle VelázquezGrupo de Investigación sobre Epidemiología de los Trastornos Mentales, Psicopatología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay.
Marcelo O'HigginsGrupo de Investigación sobre Epidemiología de los Trastornos Mentales, Psicopatología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay.
João Mauricio Castaldelli-MaiaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Antonio VentriglioDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
Alexander SmithDepartment of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Ana BuadzeDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Michael LiebrenzDepartment of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms are frequently reported among incarcerated populations and have been associated with impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, and adverse mental health outcomes. Despite growing international evidence, no previous studies have examined screening-positive ADHD symptoms among prisoners in Paraguay or evaluated Spanish-language screening tools in correctional settings. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of screening-positive ADHD symptoms among incarcerated men and women in Paraguay, examine selected psychological and criminological variables, and assess the reliability and factorial structure of the Spanish version of the Symptom Check List-ADHD (SCL-ADHD). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 836 inmates (621 men, 215 women) recruited through probabilistic sampling in three Paraguayan prisons. Screening-positive ADHD status was defined as a score ≥ 12 on the nine-item SCL-ADHD derived from the SCL-90-R. Psychiatric symptoms, suicide risk, and substance-related problems were assessed using validated measures. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent correlates of screening-positive ADHD status. Results: Screening-positive ADHD status was observed in 33.4% of participants, with higher prevalence among women than men (39.1% vs. 31.4%; OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.02-1.93, p = 0.04). Screening-positive ADHD was independently associated with suicide risk (OR = 3.85, p < 0.001) and elevated SCL-90-R dimensions of hostility, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Sensitivity analyses using continuous symptom scores showed associations with hostility, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms remained, whereas association with depression attenuated. No significant independent associations were observed with criminological variables. The Spanish SCL-ADHD demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.76) and a coherent symptom structure. Conclusion: Screening-positive ADHD symptoms were common among incarcerated individuals in Paraguay, particularly women, and were associated with concurrent emotional dysregulation and suicidality. These findings reflect screening-based symptom burden rather than confirmed adult ADHD diagnoses and highlight the potential utility of systematic ADHD screening within correctional mental health services.

Indexed as

ADHD symptomsemotional dysregulationincarcerationParaguaysuicidality

Identifiers

PMID42064157
PMCPMC13125982

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