title: Is ADHD a Risk Factor for High School Dropout? A Controlled Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined whether ADHD was an independent contributor to grade retention when adjusting for IQ, learning disorders, and social class.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outcome data was from participants in studies at Massachusetts General Hospital (n= 404 ADHD,n= 349 controls) who underwent psychiatric interviews, socioeconomic status measures, and IQ testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  28% of individuals with ADHD repeated a grade compared with 7% of controls (p< .001). Among participants with ADHD, social class, and IQ were significant predictors of high school dropout or repeated grade. An interaction effect of ADHD and gender was also found with females with ADHD having a higher risk ratio for repeated grade/dropout compared with males with ADHD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants with ADHD were significantly more likely to repeat a grade, adjusting for all other variables indicating the critical importance of early identification of ADHD to help mitigate adverse educational outcomes.
authors: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA rfried@partners.org.
authors: Ronna
authors: R
authors: Fried
authors: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Carter
authors: C
authors: Petty
authors: State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
authors: Stephen V
authors: SV
authors: Faraone
authors: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Laran L
authors: LL
authors: Hyder
authors: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Day
authors: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Biederman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007859:Learning Disabilities; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: ADHD; adolescence; dropout