Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at risk for alcoho...( Prior research has shown that chil...),Health

• Prior research has shown that children with ADHD can develop alcohol problems later in life.
• Two studies confirm this association, indicating that drinking problems begin around age 15.
• Parental alcoholism and family stress appear to add to the risk of children with ADHD developing alcohol problems themselves.

Researchers believe that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for alcohol- as well as other substance-related problems as they grow older. Yet the research is not always consistent. Two new studies help to confirm that ADHD is a risk factor for alcohol problems; adding that parental alcoholism and stressful experiences in the family play an important role in this risk.

Results are published in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

"Children with ADHD are believed to be at risk for alcoholism because of their impulsivity and distractibility, as well as other problems that often accompany ADHD such as school failure and behavior problems," explained Brooke Molina, associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, and corresponding author for both studies.

In the first study, on "Age specificity," Molina and her colleagues interviewed participants in the larger Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study. Children diagnosed with ADHD (n=364) were interviewed either as adolescents (11 to 17 years of age) or as young adults (18 to 28 years of age). Demographically and age-matched individuals without ADHD were also recruited as adolescents (n=120) or as adults (n=120) to serve as a comparison. Alcohol use was determined through questionnaires and interviews.

"We found that the children with ADHD were more likely than the comparison group to drink heavily and to have enough problems related to their drinking that they were diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence," said Molina. "This
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26-Mar-2007

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