Late adolescent and young adult outcomes of girls diagnosed with ADHD in childhood: an exploratory investigation.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the late adolescent and young adult outcomes of girls diagnosed with ADHD in childhood.


METHODS
The study included 58 women from a larger longitudinal study of ADHD. A total of 34 (M = 19.97 years old) met DSM criteria for ADHD in childhood, whereas the remaining 24 (M = 19.83 years old) did not. Self- and parent-reports of psychopathology, delinquency, interpersonal relationships, academic achievement, job performance, and substance use were collected.


RESULTS
The findings suggest that girls with ADHD experience difficulties in late adolescence and young adulthood, such as more conflict with their mothers, being involved in fewer romantic relationships, and experiencing more depressive symptoms than comparison women. However, differences did not emerge in all domains, such as job performance, substance use, and self-reported ADHD symptomatology.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study add to the literature on the negative late adolescent and young adult outcomes associated with childhood ADHD in women.
Babinski
Dara E
DE
Center for Children and Families, State University of New York at Buffalo, 106 Diefendorf Hall, 3435 Main Street, Building 20, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA. deb24@buffalo.edu
Pelham
William E
WE
Molina
Brooke S G
BS
Gnagy
Elizabeth M
EM
Waschbusch
Daniel A
DA
Yu
Jihnhee
J
Maclean
Michael G
MG
Wymbs
Brian T
BT
Sibley
Margaret H
MH
Biswas
Aparajita
A
Robb
Jessica A
JA
Karch
Kathryn M
KM
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult