Hyperactive kids tend to perform worse as adults: study

BEIJING – Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to perform worse as adults than those without the symptoms, according to a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry as quoted by media reports Tuesday.

Rachel Kleina, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York and his colleagues followed 135 white men who had been rated hyperactive by their school teachers back in the 1970s and referred to hospitals.

They said children with the condition of ADHD are excessively restless, impulsive and easily distracted, and often have trouble in school, but without aggressive or antisocial behaviors.

When they grow up, they have less education and lower income and higher rates of divorce and substance abuse, according to their findings.

Their finds are likely to further fuel the debate about whether children with ADHD should be treated with stimulant medications.

Treatment options include both stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Adderall, and behavioral therapy, according to researchers.

Although the kids fared worse as adults than the comparison group, they still were within the normal range in many cases, said J. Russell Ramsay at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

“This is sort of a reminder to pay attention to the unique needs of the child, the educational environment and the home environment, ” said Ramsay.

Kids with ADHD have different outcomes depending on the severity and complexity of their disorder, Ramsay added.

Source: Xinhuanet

Category: Education