ADOLESCENT OUTCOME OF BOYS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER AND SOCIAL DISABILITY - RESULTS FROM A 4-YEAR LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP-STUDY/

IQ-achievement discrepancy methodology similar to that used in definin g learning disabilities has recently been used to identify a subset of boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) evidencing marked impairment in social functioning. In this study, 2 issues were examined: (a) What is the longitudinal outcome of boys with ADHD ident ified at baseline as ''socially disabled''? (b) Is social disability a t baseline a significant predictor of severe long-term outcomes (such as substance use disorders) in bogs with ADHD? if so, are its predicti ve relationships accounted for by renditions that are comorbid with AD I-LD? Results showed that, at follow-up, boys with ADHD who also had s ocial disability evidenced significantly higher rates of mood, anxiety , disruptive, and substance use disorders, compared with nonsocially d isabled boys with ADHD and comparison boys without ADHD. Findings also showed that social disability at baseline in boys with ADHD was a sig nificant predictor of later conduct disorder and most substance use di sorders after baseline mood and conduct disorders and behavior checkli st ratings of aggressive behavior and attention problems were controll ed.