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ADHD in children linked to disorders, lower academic, social performance
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Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder had more academic difficulty, peer problems and comorbid disorders than those without the disorder, according to recent data.
Researchers from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues examined the records of 391 Australian children aged 6 to 8 years. Participants not already diagnosed with ADHD were screened through reports submitted by parents and teachers, resulting in one group of children with ADHD (n=179) and another without (n=212).
Children in the ADHD group had poorer standardized scores than those in the control group for reading (effect size, 0.66; P<.001) and math (effect size, –0.69; P<.001). Social functioning was reported in the ADHD group by both parents (effect size, 0.92; P<.001) and teachers (effect size, 0.69; P<.001). Boys with ADHD had more peer problems as reported by parents than girls with ADHD (P=.04).
Children in the ADHD group were more likely than controls to have both externalizing disorders (adjusted OR=11; 95% CI, 5.6-21.6) and internalizing disorders (adjusted OR=2.9; 95% CI, 12-7.2). Children who had ADHD were also more likely than controls to have multiple impairments (Pearson chi-square, 169.8; P<.001), with oppositional defiant disorder being the most prevalent comorbid mental health disorder among children with ADHD (54.2%).
Seventeen percent of children in the ADHD group were previously diagnosed, with the rest being recognized as a result of the study. A previous diagnosis was more frequent in boys than girls (OR=5.2; 95% CI, 1.6-17.5).
“Children who had ADHD were found to be performing well below their non-ADHD peers on all domains assessed,” the researchers wrote. “They had a high burden of mental health comorbidities, were performing markedly worse academically and had poorer peer relations.”
Disclosure: One researcher serves on a Shire advisory board, and his department has received revenue from Eli Lilly, Janssen and Shire.
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