Conduct problems, gender and adult psychiatric outcome of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
BACKGROUND
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood condition, and is more prevalent in boys. The adult outcome of girls with ADHD has never been studied.


OBJECTIVE
To identify predictors for adult psychiatric outcome of children with ADHD, including gender and comorbidity.


METHODS
Children aged 4-15 years, referred for hyperactivity/inattention and treated with stimulants were included (n=208). The Psychiatric Case Register provided follow-up data on psychiatric admissions in adulthood until a mean age of 31 years.


RESULTS
A total of 47 cases (22.6%) had a psychiatric admission in adulthood. Conduct problems in childhood were predictive (hazard ratio HR=2.3; 95% CI 1.22-4.33). Girls had a higher risk compared with boys (HR=2.4; 95% CI 1.1-5.6).


CONCLUSIONS
Girls with ADHD had a higher risk of adult psychiatric admission than boys. Conduct problems were also associated with a higher risk. Girls with ADHD with conduct problems had a very high risk of a psychiatric admission in adulthood.
Dalsgaard
Søren
S
Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. sda@buh.aaa.dk
Mortensen
Preben Bo
PB
Frydenberg
Morten
M
Thomsen
Per Hove
PH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012737:Sex Factors