Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is widely perceived as a problem only in children. The Canadian Mental Health Association defines it as a disorder that “reduce[s] the child’s ability to pay attention” and outlines the effects of ADHD on children, which can include violent behaviour, low self-esteem, physical pains, and social difficulties. The Association does not, on its website, mention effects of ADHD on individuals later in life.
Recently, however, studies find that when children with ADHD grow up, they may be more susceptible to mental health issues which may manifest in substance abuse or mental illnesses. Although they may “outgrow” ADHD, new problems can arise that should not be overlooked.
The journal Pediatrics published a study in which almost 30% of children diagnosed with ADHD never “outgrew” it and 57% of the children with ADHD developed one or more other mental illnesses in adulthood. These included personality disorders, substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. In comparison, 35% of children without ADHD developed mental illness in adulthood.
Additionally, children with ADHD were about 8 times as likely as children without ADHD to commit suicide and 3 times as likely to be imprisoned.
The study was conducted on primarily white, middle class children, which may have positively skewed the results. Therefore, in the general population, childhood ADHD may in fact have even more severe consequences than implicated by the study.
These findings indicate that attitudes towards ADHD need to be shifted and long-term support services for children with ADHD should be provided into their teenage years and adulthood. Furthermore, well-rounded treatment plans should be created that emphasize educational and mental health support rather than simply medication.
SOURCES:
http://www.cmha.ca/mental-health/understanding-mental-illness/attention-deficit-disorders/
