Young adult outcome of hyperactive children: adaptive functioning in major life activities.
OBJECTIVE
The authors report the adaptive functioning of hyperactive and control children in southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee) followed to young adulthood.


METHODS
Interviews with participants concerning major life activities were collected between 1992 and 1996 and used along with employer ratings and high school records at the young adult follow-up (mean = 20 years, range 19-25) for this large sample of hyperactive (H; n = 149) and community control (CC; n = 72) children initially seen in 1978-1980 and studied for at least 13 years. Age, duration of follow-up, and IQ were statistically controlled as needed.


RESULTS
The H group had significantly lower educational performance and attainment, with 32% failing to complete high school. H group members had been fired from more jobs and manifested greater employer-rated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms and lower job performance than the CC group. Socially, the H group had fewer close friends, more trouble keeping friends, and more social problems as rated by parents. Far more H than CC group members had become parents (38% versus 4%) and had been treated for sexually transmitted disease (16% versus 4%). Severity of lifetime conduct disorder was predictive of several of the most salient outcomes (failure to graduate, earlier sexual intercourse, early parenthood) whereas attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder at work were predictive of job performance and risk of being fired.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings corroborate prior research and go further in identifying sexual activity and early parenthood as additional problematic domains of adaptive functioning at adulthood.
Barkley
Russell A
RA
Dr. Barkley is with the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Dr. Fischer and Ms. Smallish are with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and Dr. Fletcher is with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. Electronic address: russellbarkley@earthlink.net.
Fischer
Mariellen
M
Dr. Barkley is with the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Dr. Fischer and Ms. Smallish are with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and Dr. Fletcher is with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.
Smallish
Lori
L
Dr. Barkley is with the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Dr. Fischer and Ms. Smallish are with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and Dr. Fletcher is with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.
Fletcher
Kenneth
K
Dr. Barkley is with the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Dr. Fischer and Ms. Smallish are with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and Dr. Fletcher is with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012917:Social Adjustment; D014481:United States