Adult Outcome of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Controlled 16-Year Follow-Up Study
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OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risks for psychopathology and functional impairments in adulthood among a longitudinal sample of youth with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosed in childhood. METHOD: This was a case-controlled, 16-year (15-19 years) prospective follow-up study of ADHD. 140 boys with and 120 without DSM-III-R ADHD were recruited from pediatric and psychiatric settings. The main outcome measures were structured diagnostic interviews and measures of psychosocial, educational, and neuropsychological functioning. Data were collected from 1988 to 2006. RESULTS: At the 16-year follow-up, subjects with ADHD continued to significantly differ from controls in lifetime rates of antisocial, mood, anxiety, and addictive disorders, but with the exception of a higher interval prevalence of anxiety disorders (20% vs 8%; z = 2.32, P = .02) and smoking dependence (27% vs 11%; z = 2.30, P = .02), the incidence of individual disorders in the 6-year interval between the current and prior follow-up did not differ significantly from controls. At follow-up, the ADHD subjects compared with controls were significantly (P < .05) more impaired in psychosocial, educational, and neuropsychological functioning, differences that could not be accounted for by other active psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS: These long-term prospective findings provide further evidence for the high morbidity associated with ADHD across the life cycle, stressing the importance of early recognition of this disorder for prevention and early intervention strategies. These findings also indicate that, in adulthood, ADHD confers significant risks for impairment that cannot be accounted for by other psychopathology.
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Improvements observed from LDX versus placebo in this trial were comparable to those observed in LDX interventions for adults with ADHD.
“Improvements observed from LDX versus placebo in this trial were comparable to those observed in LDX interventions for adults with ADHD [16,27–29].”
From Treating new-onset cognitive complaints after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy: A randomized controlled crossover trial of lisdexamfetamine (2024) · cites this paper as [29]
The Discussion and Functional, Educational, Occupational, and Cognitive Outcomes sections describe a 16-year follow-up comparing men who had ADHD as boys with controls. Searches for LDX, lisdexamfetamine, placebo, and adult treatment trials found no passage reporting LDX-versus-placebo improvements or a comparison with such interventions. (LLM, conf=0.77)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn placebo-controlled LDX trials in ADHD, participants were considered treatment responders if they had a ≥ 30% reduction in ADHD symptoms using a standardized scale.
“in placebo-controlled LDX trials in ADHD, participants were considered treatment “responders” if they had a ≥ 30% reduction in ADHD symptoms using a standardized scale [27–29].”
From Treating new-onset cognitive complaints after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy: A randomized controlled crossover trial of lisdexamfetamine (2024) · cites this paper as [29]
The Follow-Up Assessment Procedures section defines persistent and subthreshold ADHD for a 16-year follow-up study, not treatment response in a placebo-controlled trial. Searches for LDX, lisdexamfetamine, and a 30% symptom-reduction responder threshold found no passage addressing the claim. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.77)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredFollow-ups of clinical childhood-ADHD samples have not yielded many participants who meet adult-ADHD criteria.
“Moreover, follow-ups of clinical childhood-ADHD samples have not yielded many participants who meet adult-ADHD criteria(3-6).”
From Is adult ADHD a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder? Evidence from a four-decade longitudinal cohort study (2015) · cites this paper as [4]
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References 38 · Cited by 291
Research works printed but not linked: 9
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- Authors
- Biederman, J., Petty, C. R., Woodworth, K. Y., Lomedico, A., Hyder, L. L., & Faraone, S. V.
- Affiliations
- Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
- SUNY Upstate Medical University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Biederman, Joseph
- Venue
- The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc
- Published
- 2012-07-15
- Volume
- 73
- Issue
- 07
- Pages
- 941-950
- ISSN
- 0160-6689 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2030480409
- Cited by
- 291
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 33 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 18.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, adult outcomes, psychopathology, functional disability, antisocial personality disorder, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, nicotine dependence, school functioning, neuropsychological performance, longitudinal follow-up, early intervention
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Prospective Studies, Quality of Life, Smoking, Socioeconomic Factors, Comorbidity, Case-Control Studies, Mood Disorders, Family Conflict, Young Adult
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