title: Quality of life of methylphenidate treatment-responsive adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: Quality of life (QOL) in methylphenidate treatment-responsive adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was assessed. Patients were 12- to 18-year-old adolescents with ADHD (total n = 45) who had been on methylphenidate treatment for at least 3 months and were clinically judged to be improved. The self-completed Taiwanese Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adolescents (TQOLQA) was used, and the resulting measures were compared between adolescents with ADHD and: (1) community adolescents (n = 2316); (2) treatment-responsive adolescents with a chronic medical condition (i.e., adolescents with leukemia in its first and complete continuous remission for at least 3 years after chemotherapy) (n = 39). Patients' cognitive profile and their daily executive functioning were also obtained for analysis. The QOL of the treated adolescents with ADHD was reported to be worse than that of both the community healthy adolescents and the adolescent leukemia survivors in the self-reported TQOLQA domain of "psychological well-being". Treated adolescents with ADHD still had impaired executive skills in natural, everyday environments, and the scores for daily executive abilities could predict the QOL measures. Factors besides pharmacotherapy should be explored to further improve the QOL of medication-treated adolescents with ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University and Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. pincheny@gmail.com
authors.forename: Pin-Chen
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: For-Wey
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Lung
authors.forename: Shyh-Shin
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Cheng-Fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Jong-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fuh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate