Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Children with ADHD may have substance abuse problems later in life
By Staff Writer
As of 2007, approximately 5.4 million children between the age of 4 and 17 had been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to the results of a recent study, children with this disorder are two to three times more likely to develop serious substance abuse problems at an older age.
Psychologists from the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of South Carolina reached this conclusion after analyzing 27 long-term studies that followed approximately 4,100 children with ADHD and 6,800 children without the disorder.
Data from the studies were combined so that the researchers could analyze the information as a whole. By doing so, the psychologists found that children with ADHD struggled more with addiction, substance abuse and the inability to kick their habit.
The problems were consistent across all genders, races and substances, including alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and other drugs.
Based on these results, the researchers feel that parents of children with ADHD should monitor their offspring. In addition, they believe that early intervention with a mental health professional can be an effective form of substance abuse help.
