title: Conduct problems, gender and adult psychiatric outcome of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. sda@buh.aaa.dk
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dalsgaard
authors.forename: Preben Bo
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frydenberg
authors.forename: Per Hove
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Thomsen
mesh_terms: 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