Implications of untreated ADD/ADHD

Social Outcomes

According to the NIH (NIH Consensus Statement 1998 Nov 16Ð18; 16(2): 1Ð37.), children with ADHD experience peer rejection and engage in a broad array of disruptive behaviors. Their academic and social difficulties have far-reaching and long-term consequences. These children have higher injury rates. As they grow older, children with untreated ADHD in combination with conduct disorders experience drug abuse, antisocial behavior, and injuries of all sorts. For many individuals, the impact of ADHD continues into adulthood.

The 2002 Murphy study (under Academic Effects, above) also looked at rates of arrest by the police, illegal drug use, alcohol abuse, and drug dependency in the same set of young adults. Depending upon the subtype of ADHD, rates of arrest were from 45% to 300% higher, illegal drug use was 55% higher, alcoholism was 400% higher, and drug dependency was between 5 to 10 times higher.




... another random musing