NCJ Number
227135
Journal
Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: 2009 Pages: 172-192
Date Published
2009
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study explored the late adolescent psychosocial outcomes for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Abstract
Results revealed that a diagnosis of ADHD during childhood did not reliably confer a higher risk for later substance use disorders, particularly if ADHD was absent of a conduct or oppositional defiant disorder. Noteworthy, is that within the ADHD externalizing group, those children who maintained their disruptive behaviors over time, compared to those whose symptoms subsided to a nonclinical level, had similar rates of substance use disorders at outcome. This suggests that externalizing problems once infecting the developmental trajectory of children may have lasting effects. These results would appear to necessitate a very concerted effort at monitoring and applying prevention interventions for children with comorbid externalizing problems, including those who appear to have matured out of developmental difficulties. The second major finding provides a slightly different picture of the putative effects of ADHD on late adolescent outcomes. Found was that among the non-drug-related, psychosocial functioning variables, ADHD youths showed worse outcomes compared to the normal group, and no difference among the ADHD groups for these outcomes except for delinquency. ADHD children as a group had more physical health incidents, psychosocial problems, and delinquency than controls. Early identification, prevention, early intervention, and continuous monitoring may be a necessary part of their mental and physical health care. Data were collected from 119 ADHD children and 93 children in a normal control group. Tables and references