hello to all,
i am a new member. this is a study that was done by a hospital in
Massachusetts. i thought that you would like to read this.
jenna


Nationally recognized Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
authority Russell Barkley, Ph.D., has embarked on a national speaking
tour to discuss the symptoms of ADHD in adults and the potentially
serious consequences these symptoms may have on the life of an adult
living with this disorder. ADHD is believed to affect an estimated
8.1
percent of adults, or 9.2 million adults across the U.S. based on a
retrospective survey of adults aged 18 to 44, projected to the full
U.S. adult population. The purpose of this tour is to help raise
awareness about the importance of identifying, diagnosing and
treating
adult ADHD.

In children, ADHD may interfere with paying attention in school,
completing homework or making friends. Difficulties experienced in
childhood may continue into adulthood. The symptoms of ADHD in adults
may lead to potentially serious consequences. Surveys have shown that
when compared with their non-ADHD peers, adults with ADHD may be:

-- Three times more likely to be currently unemployed
-- Two times more likely to have problems keeping friends
-- Forty-seven percent more likely to have trouble saving money to
pay bills
-- Four times more likely to have contracted a sexually transmitted
disease

"This educational initiative is meant to provide information about
ADHD
in adults including the results of recent studies of adults with ADHD
concerning their symptoms, impairments and functionality in many
domains of life that support the results of previous research in this
area," said Dr. Barkley author of a recently published book, ADHD in
Adults: What the Science Says.

Two studies, one conducted at the University of Massachusetts (the
UMASS study) and one conducted at The Medical College of Wisconsin in
Milwaukee (the Milwaukee study), were recently published in a book by
Dr. Barkley. They were both designed to observe secondary outcomes of
patients living with ADHD. These secondary outcomes included:
educational and occupational functioning; drug use and anti-social
behaviors; health, lifestyle, money management and driving; sex,
dating, marriage, parenting and psychosocial adjustment of offspring;
and neurological functioning. Observational outcomes showed that
adults
with ADHD, when compared to a control group, were more likely to use
certain illicit drugs, engage in certain anti-social behavior, have
financial problems and engage in risky sexual behavior. Outcomes of
both studies were observed and documented through a combination of
data
gathering techniques, such as self-reporting, patient interviews and
observation.

"These results, together with what we already know about ADHD, give
the
impression that ADHD has a potentially significant impact on the
lives
of many patients. There is hope for adults with ADHD. Today there are
ways to manage this chronic condition, and I hope these findings
serve
as an impetus for adults with ADHD to seek medical advice from their
healthcare providers," said Dr. Barkley.

The UMASS study, conducted from approximately 2003 to 2004, examined
lifestyle outcomes among three cohorts of adult patients: 146
clinic-referred adults with ADHD, 97 adults seen at the same clinic
who
were not diagnosed with ADHD, and also a third general community
sample
of 109 adults without ADHD. Specifically, the UMASS study found that
the adults with ADHD when compared to the non-ADHD control group were
approximately three times more likely (21 percent compared to 6
percent) to sell drugs illegally. Additionally, the UMASS study found
that 67 percent of adults with ADHD compared to the control group (15
percent) had trouble managing money.

The Milwaukee study, ongoing since 1977 (with the most recent follow-
up
conducted from 1999 to 2003), is an observational longitudinal study
that looked at secondary lifestyle outcomes of 158 children who had
been diagnosed with ADHD and, as adults, either continue to
experience
symptoms or no longer have the disorder at the age of 27, compared to
a
community control group of 81 children without ADHD who were followed
concurrently. The Milwaukee study found that the adults with ADHD
were
approximately three times as likely when compared with the community
control group to initiate physical fights (30 percent compared to 9
percent), destroy others property (31 percent compared to 8 percent)
and break and enter (20 percent compared to 7 percent).

"As an organization dedicated to providing information and resources
to
adults with ADHD, we are excited to see such attention paid to this
disorder," said Evelyn Polk-Green, MS, Ed., ADDA President-elect and
adult living with ADHD. "The reason why these findings are so
important
is that they help to inform people that ADHD is not just a childhood
disorder, but in fact, a disorder that may affect multiple aspects of
adult life and should be properly diagnosed and treated. This
research
also reinforces the need for formalized and validated criteria for
the
diagnosis of adult ADHD and may play a significant role in the
development of this diagnostic criteria and the addition of it to the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders."

About ADHD

Approximately 7.8 percent of all school-age children, or about 4.4
million U.S. children aged 4 to 17 years, have been diagnosed with
ADHD
at some point in their lives, according to the CDC. ADHD is one of
the
most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. The
disorder is also estimated to affect 8.1 percent of adults, or
approximately 9.2 million adults across the U.S. based on a
retrospective survey of adults aged 18 to 44, projected to the full
U.S. adult population. ADHD is a neurological brain disorder that
manifests as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or
hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is
typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of
development.
To be properly diagnosed with ADHD, a child needs to demonstrate at
least six of nine symptoms of inattention; and/or at least six of
nine
symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity; the onset of which appears
before age 7 years; that some impairment from the symptoms is present
in two or more settings (e.g., at school and home); that the symptoms
continue for at least six months; and that there is clinically
significant impairment in social, academic or occupational
functioning
and the symptoms cannot be better explained by another psychiatric
disorder.

Although there is no "cure" for ADHD, there are accepted treatments
that specifically target its symptoms. The most common standard
treatments include educational approaches, psychological or
behavioral
modification, and medication.

Shire provided financial support for Dr. Barkley's national speaking
tour.

For further information on ADHD please visit: www.ADHDSupport.com or
www.add.org.

About Dr. Russell A. Barkley

Dr. Russell A. Barkley is a clinical scientist, educator and
practitioner who has authored, co-authored, or co-edited 20 books and
clinical manuals and published more than 200 scientific articles
related to the treatment of ADHD and related disorders. He has also
received numerous awards over his career for his work in ADHD and the
field of psychology. He worked in the Child Neurology Division at
Milwaukee Children's Hospital and founded the Neuropsychology Service
at Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Barkley also served as the
Director of Psychology and as a Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology
at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He also works as a
Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University
of
South Carolina and is on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry
at
the SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY.

About ADDA

The Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) is a nonprofit
organization working to provide information, resources and networking
to help adults with AD/HD lead better lives. ADDA generates hope,
awareness, empowerment and connections worldwide in the field of
AD/HD
by bringing together science and the human experience for adults
living
with ADHD and the professionals who serve them. For information
visit:
www.add.org.

Website: http://www.add.org/