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Research Identifies Link Between Childhood ADHD and Adult Crime
Schoolchildren with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder are “substantially” more likely to engage in many types of criminal activity, such as burglary, theft and drug dealing, as they grow older, a new study conducted by the Yale School of Public Health has found. The research results are believed to be the first evidence of a link between the common childhood condition commonly known as ADHD and illegal activity that uses a national sample of individuals. The study found that children with ADHD, for example, were nearly twice as likely to commit theft later in life and were 50 percent more likely to sell drugs. The findings suggest that children exhibiting ADHD symptoms should be viewed as an at-risk group and that intervention programs might be an appropriate response. The research estimated that the crimes where ADHD is a factor cost society $2 to $4 billion annually. “While much research has shown links between ADHD and short term educational outcomes, this research suggests significant longer term consequences in other domains, such as criminal activities,” said Jason M. Fletcher, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor at the school. The study appeared this week in The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics. [Link to attached pdf] “We also found important differences in the association between adult crime and the type of childhood ADHD symptoms—whether hyperactive or inattentive or both.” Fletcher and a colleague from the University of Wisconsin-Madison used regression analysis on a group of over 10,000 adolescents who were also surveyed as young adults. They found that individuals with the inattentive subtype of ADHD had a 6.5 percentage point increase in committing any crime in comparison with their peers. For people with the hyperactive form of the condition, there was an 11 point increase. It is estimated that ADHD affects between 2 percent to 10 percent of schoolchildren in the United States. The condition is far more prevalent in males than females and is much higher among close relatives than in the general population, suggesting a genetic origin. Treatment for ADHD, meanwhile, has increased sharply over the past 20 years with pharmaceuticals, such as Ritalin, now commonly used. Fletcher said the link between ADHD and criminal activity will be further investigated by examining whether pharmacological treatments may reduce the risk of illegal activities as an adult. He is also investigating the relationships between childhood ADHD symptoms and labor market outcomes, such as employment and earnings. ~Story by Michael Greenwood |
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