Study: Combination of ADHD and conduct disorders may lead to substance abuse

By Staff Writer

Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a conduct disorder (CD) are more likely to incur substance abuse problems later in life, researchers say.

As reported on Modern Medicine.com, the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine studied a sample of people for the last 35 years, determining the correlation between ADHD in childhood and substance abuse during adulthood.

Researchers found that individuals with ADHD and a CD were three times more likely to develop a substance abuse problem as an adult, while adolescents with ADHD - and not a CD - were 1.9 times more likely to abuse drugs.

"From a clinical perspective, early interventions should focus on CD, particularly in children with ADHD, because this may put the youngsters at risk for later [substance abuse disorders]," one of the report's authors said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 4.5 million children ages 5 to 17 have ever been diagnosed with ADHD as of four years ago. The CDC reports that diagnosis of ADHD increased by an average of 3 percent per year from 1997 to 2006.