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Section III: Population Dynamics

Table 1. Select summary of characteristics and associated problems of ADHD through the lifespan (Continued)
Authors Major research findings
  Early and Middle Childhood (6-12 years)
Barkley (1998a);
Barkley et al. (1990)
  • 40-60% develop ODD
  • 25-40% likely to show signs of CD
  • 25% fight with peers
  • 60-80% placed on a trial of stimulants
  • 50% or more have had individual or family therapy
  • 30-45% formal special education
Barkley (1998a)
  • Mild cognitive impairments (i.e., working memory, planning, goal-directedness)
  • Deficient academic achievement
  • Delayed motor coordination (52%)
  • Adaptive functioning (1030 points below normal)
  • Increased risk for accidental injuries
  • Delayed onset of language or impaired speech
  • Deficient rule-governed behavior
  • Greater variability of task performance
  • Poor self-regulation of emotion and low frustration tolerance
  • Disruptive classroom behavior
  Late Childhood and Adolescence
Bagwell et al. (2001) Persistent ADHD compared with non-ADHD youth (13-18 years of age)
  • Parents report: Fewer friends, higher rates of peer rejection, 11% of ADHD teens have no close friends (vs. 1% non-ADHD group)
  • Teachers report: greater peer rejection for ADHD teens
  • Presence of childhood aggression lowered self-reports of social competence, peer acceptance; parents report fewer close friendships for ADHD teens
  • Presence of CD: self reports more friends use substances, friends are engaged in less conventional activities; parents report high rates of disapproval of friends (64%) versus ADHD non-CD (38%) and 28% of non-ADHD group
Barkley et al. (1990);
Fischer et al. (1990)
Milwaukee study: 8-year followup of boys with ADHD (12-20 years of age)
  • 71.5% continue to meet criteria for ADHD
  • 60% diagnosed with ODD
  • 43% diagnosed with CD
  • 10% dropped out of school vs. 0% of controls
  • 29.3% failed a grade vs. 10% of controls
  • 46.3% suspended vs. 15.2% of controls
  • 10.6% expelled vs. 1.5% of controls
  • ADHD + CD increases risk for expulsion (21.7%), suspension (67.4%), and dropping out (13%)
  • Stolen without confrontation (49.6%), firesetting (27.6%)
  • 80.5% methylphenidate (36 mos.), 3.3% d-amphetamine (1.1 mos.), 19.5% pemoline (2.6 mos.), 1.6% tranquilizer (0.1 mos.), 14.6% other psychotropic drugs (0.4 mos.)1
  • 63.4% psychotherapy (16.3 mos.), 49.6% family therapy (7.2 mos.), 32.5% in learning disability classes (65.5 mos.), 35.8% in behavior disorder classes (59.1 mos.), 16.3% speech classes (40.2 mos.)2
Biederman et al. (1996) 4-year followup of boys with ADHD (6-17 years of age)
  • 85% continue to have ADHD
  • 15% remitted (half in childhood, half in adolescence)
Biederman et al. (1998) Adolescent and childhood ADHD (6-17 years of age)
  • Adolescents higher rates of family history of ADHD
  • Similar number of DSM-III-R symptoms of ADHD at baseline (8.9 for children and 9.0 for adolescents) for both children and teens with ADHD
  • Similar number of DSM-III-R symptoms of ADHD at 4-year followup for both children and teens with ADHD
  • Rates of comorbidity for children versus adolescents with ADHD
  • 42% vs. 25% conduct disorder
    54% vs. 44% major depression
    46% vs. 35% multiple anxiety
    46% vs. 33% oppositional defiant
    22% vs. 28% dipolar disorder
    3% vs. 40% substance abuse2
Satterfield and Schell (1997) Adolescents with ADHD + oppositional and conduct disorders (ODD/CD) vs. ADHD with no ODD/CD at greater risk for:
  • Increased arrests; 50% of ADHD had a felony arrest
  • Minor antisocial behaviors including aggressiveness and defiance (indicators of CD)
  Adulthood
Barkley and Gordon (2002) Milwaukee followup study; ADHD vs. control group (mean age 21-22 years)
  • Begin sexual activity at earlier age (15 vs. 16 years)
  • More sexual partners (19 vs. 7)
  • Teenage pregnancy (38% vs. 4%)
  • Contracted sexually transmitted disease (17% vs. 4%)
Fischer et al. (2002) Milwaukee followup study: 13-year followup study of ADHD children into early adulthood (mean age 21-22 years)
  • Higher risk for nondrug psychiatric disorders vs. controls (59% vs. 36%)
  • More personality disorders (passive-aggressive, histrionic, borderline, antisocial) and major depression than controls
  • Childhood hyperactivity increases later risk for ASPD
  • Severity of childhood conduct problems + ADHD increases risk for ASPD
  • High levels of both hyperactivity with conduct problems have greater antisocial adult outcomes than either disorder alone
Ingram et al. (1999) Longitudinal study of children with ADHD into adulthood
  • 7080% meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD in adolescence
  • 60% continue to exhibit various symptoms in adulthood (more social, emotional, and impulsive problems than controls) but fewer meet diagnostic criteria
  • Fewer than 10% are grossly disturbed, requiring psychiatric hospitalization or prison
  • 30-40% show fairly normal functioning
Barkley and Gordon (2002) Murphy and Barkley (1996a, 1996b); Murphy, Barkley, and Bush (2001) Clinic-referred adults compared to community controls
  • Fired more often (53% vs. 31% controls)
  • Quit jobs more frequently (48% vs. 16% controls)
  • Chronic employment difficulties (77% vs. 57% controls)
  • Higher scores on self-report measures of interpersonal sensitivity and hostility
  • Higher rates of divorce and remarriage, less marital satisfaction
1 Numbers in parentheses represent duration of treatment.
2 Rates for children presented before adolescent rates. Control group had 33 percent substance abuse or dependence.
Note: ASPD = antisocial personality disorder; CD = conduct disorders; ODD = oppositional defiant disorder.

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