The adolescent outcome of hyperactive girls. Self-reported interpersonal relationships and coping mechanisms.
The aim of the study was to clarify the developmental risk for interpersonal relationship problems and ineffective coping strategies associated with hyperactive behaviour in girls in a longitudinal epidemiological design. This was investigated in a follow-up study of girls who were identified by parent and teacher ratings in a large community survey of 6- and 7-year-olds as showing pervasive hyperactivity or conduct problems or the comorbid mixture of both problems or neither problem. They were later investigated, at the age of 14-16 years, in a detailed interview. Childhood hyperactivity was a risk for disrupted relationships in adolescence with peers and the opposite sex, but not parents. Findings were independent of the existence of conduct problems. Hyperactivity was a risk for the use of a wide variety of ineffective coping strategies. On the other hand, conduct problem girls reported applying specific coping strategies, but rated these to be ineffective. It is concluded that early therapeutic interventions targeting the development of social skills and problem-solving skills are required in order to help overcome these problems in later life.
Department of Psychology, PO78, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. Susan.Young@slam-tr.nhs.uk
Susan
S
Young
Oliver
O
Chadwick
Ellen
E
Heptinstall
Eric
E
Taylor
Edmund J S
EJ
Sonuga-Barke
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010379:Peer Group; D011379:Prognosis; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome