Psychopathological characteristics in ultra-high risk for psychosis with and without comorbid ADHD

Aim: This study investigates the psychopathological characteristics of a sample of individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis with and without comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Twenty-eight subjects (aged 13–21 years; 13 females) with attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS) were recruited in a cross-sectional study and divided into two groups, each with 14 patients, according to the presence or absence of ADHD. Results: The APS group showed a significantly higher prevalence of negative symptoms than the APS + ADHD group. Other characteristics investigated (positive symptoms, aberrant salience, psychotic-like experiences and prodromal symptoms) did not differ between groups. Conclusions: The different profiles of negative symptoms in the APS with or without ADHD might suggest the presence of a specific subtype among individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis. Longitudinal studies with larger samples will provide information about the role of negative symptoms in determining conversion to full psychosis in those people with ‘pure’ APS and those with APS + ADHD.