ADHD och fetma hos vuxna personer : En litteraturstudie

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to describe various methods of treatment and effects of treatment of ADHD, and to investigate wheater there is an association between adults with ADHD and obesity. Method: Literature review. Twelve quantitative scientific articles were found in the data bases PubMed, Cinahl and MedLine. Result: ADHD is a cognitive impairment that can lead to serious complications such as obesity. Studies show that drug treatments of adults with ADHD have positive effects in terms of reduced symptoms, increased efficiency and improved quality of life, but drugs can also cause side effects in form of loss of appetite and insomnia. For adults with ADHD and obesity drugs that affect metabolism have a significant impact on patients ability to lose weight. At the same time the need for counselling to implement lifestyle changes is considerable. Cognitive-behavioral group therapy has in studies shown long-term improvements and is a successful method in the treatment of adults with ADHD. Conclusion: The studies show that it is important to examine and treat patients with ADHD. Preventative measures with focus on lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity and changing dietary habits are necessary to avoid serious sequelae as obesity. Attending nurses needs knowledge about treatment of ADHD and new disease prevention methods as motivational interviewing (MI) to help this group of patients. Keywords: ADHD, adult, treatment, obesity