Prospective study of adolescent drug use among community samples of ADHD and non-ADHD participants.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the late adolescent drug use outcomes from a relatively large, community-identified sample of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who have been assessed longitudinally from childhood through late adolescence.


METHODS
Adolescent drug use outcomes were compared between ADHD-only (n = 27), ADHD-externalizing (mostly oppositional defiant disorder) (n = 82), and normal control (n = 91) groups.


RESULTS
The ADHD-externalizing group revealed significantly worse drug use outcomes (drug use frequency and substance use disorders) compared to the other two groups, and the ADHD-only group showed outcomes comparable to the community control group.


CONCLUSIONS
ADHD without a comorbid externalizing disorder is not associated with an increased risk of drug abuse. ADHD with a comorbid externalizing disorder, primarily oppositional defiant disorder, is associated with an elevated risk of drug use, particularly with respect to marijuana and tobacco involvement.
August
Gerald J
GJ
Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. augus001@umn.edu
Winters
Ken C
KC
Realmuto
George M
GM
Fahnhorst
Tamara
T
Botzet
Andria
A
Lee
Susanne
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012306:Risk; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*