Scientists tracking the progress of children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as they became teenagers have shed new light on the link between ADHD and the risk of developing alcohol and substance use problems. The researchers found that individuals with severe problems of inattention as children were more likely than their peers to report alcohol-related problems, a greater frequency of getting drunk, and heavier and earlier use of tobacco and other drugs. The findings indicate that childhood ADHD may be as important for the risk of later substance use problems as having a history of family members with alcoholism and other substance use disorders. The study appears in the August issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.

ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed pediatric mental health disorders. It occurs in three to five percent of school-aged children. While previous research has indicated that ADHD together with a variety of other childhood behavior disorders may predispose children to drug, alcohol, and tobacco use earlier than children without ADHD, this study explores more closely specific aspects of that association.

"This is one of the first studies to focus on the severity of inattention problems in childhood ADHD as distinct from impulsivity and hyperactivity," says Ting-Kai Li, M.D., director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). "It demonstrates the usefulness of distinguishing ADHD's effects from the effects of childhood behavior disorders, such as aggression and defiance. Such prospective longitudinal analysis can best guide us in developing research-based prevention programs specifically targeted to help young people," he says. NIAAA supported the study together with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Mental Health, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, all components of the National Institutes of Health.

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Contact: Ann Bradley
abradley@willco.niaaa.nih.gov
301-443-0595
NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
17-Aug-2003

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