Up to a quarter of teenagers who seek treatment for addiction in Dublin and Wicklow have ADHD, the clinical lead for these programmes has said.
For adolescents generally, cannabis is the most common drug for which they seek treatment, accounting for about 70 per cent of presentations, according to Prof Bobby Smyth, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist who leads three HSE services.
A further 20 per cent of young people seek treatment for HHC, which until recently was a legally available semi-synthetic cannabinoid.
Prof Smyth, who is a clinical professor in Trinity College Dublin, said ADHD has long been recognised as a “risk factor” for development of addiction and “we certainly see that”.
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“Between 20 and 25 per cent of the young people who attend our service have either a past diagnosis of ADHD or a current diagnosis of ADHD. So it’s common because it’s maybe 5 per cent of the general population so it’s over-represented,” he said.
Prof Smyth said often these children are turning to drugs or alcohol as a way to self-medicate or ease social anxiety.
“Lets say with autism, one of the challenges they face can be a sensory overload – ordinary levels of noise, light, stimulation can be experienced for someone as overwhelming. One of the theories is that alcohol and drug use can what we call help dial down,” he said.
“They just make the current environment more tolerable. So that can be quite reinforcing. A key deficit with kids with autism is social skills. They often struggle to build and maintain connection, friendships, but they have a desire for social connection.”
As a result, some young boys in particular have turned to smoking weed and “suddenly they’re part of the gang”.
“You suddenly have a gang of mates for the first time in your life and that’s really reinforcing it. So when cannabis use gets problematic that can be because as far as they’re concerned, you’re asking them not just to give up cannabis but also to give up their friends.”
Consequently, Prof Smyth said when treating addiction in this cohort, it’s important to help them “find a life that’s fulfilling, interesting and full of positive stuff”.
“You’re trying to reconnect them with family, with pro-social activities, with more positive friendships,” he added.
According to a recent study by researchers from TU Dublin, some 11.8 per cent of students aged 15 to 16 have used cannabis in their lifetime, with 8.3 per cent having used it the first time when they were aged between 14 and 15.
Furthermore, the research, which is part of a European school study known as ESPAD, reported that almost 30 per cent of students in Ireland found cannabis easy or very easy to obtain.
