Severity of ADHD Increases Risk Of Drug Use

jdrew63 ...@aol.com (Jan)

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-08/apa-soa081203.php Severity of ADHD in children increases risk of drug use in adolescence Inattention symptoms appears to be culprit of early drug use and multiple substance use WASHINGTON -- Children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more at risk for using illicit drugs, having problems with alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and using marijuana in their adolescence than children without ADHD, say researchers who report their findings on childhood predictors of later substance use in the August issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, published by the American Psychological ***ociation (APA).
Furthermore, childhood ADHD is linked to earlier first use of cigarettes, earlier progression to daily smoking and earlier use of illicit drugs.
According to the study, those children with the most severe attention problems in childhood were most at risk for alcohol and marijuana problems and cigarette smoking by their teens. Those children with ADHD with other behavior problems, such as defying parents and fighting, were also at risk for illicit drug use, but severity of attention problems was a better predictor for drinking, tobacco, and marijuana outcomes. This could be, say the researchers, because problems with paying attention in childhood have an immediate effect on school learning and social relationships, which may set the stage for other problems later on that include drug use and abuse.
Psychologists Brooke S. G. Molina, Ph.D., and William E. Pelham, Jr., Ph.D.
compared drug use between 142 teenagers (13-18 years of age) diagnosed with ADHD in childhood with 100 children (same ages) without ADHD, using measures of ADHD and antisocial behavior reported by the teachers and parents. Because the children with ADHD had been diagnosed and followed from childhood, the researchers were able to evaluate whether the severity of symptoms in the ADHD group predicted elevated drug use in adolescence.
The presence of ADHD in childhood was found to increase the risk for elevated use and abuse of alcohol and heavier drugs and the earlier use of tobacco and other drugs by the teenage years, said the authors. Furthermore, said Dr.
Molina, "childhood ADHD symptoms, particularly the inattention dimension of ADHD, predicted later substance use to a greater degree than childhood antisocial behaviors." This suggests that the severity of ADHD is a leading factor for the early emergence of substance use behavior, said Molina. Thus, it was not surprising that those children who still had ADHD in adolescence (about 72% of them) reported more drunkenness from alcohol, more alcohol problems, and more cigarette smoking than the adolescents without childhood ADHD. Children with ADHD who developed severe conduct problems by adolescence (about 26% of them) reported the highest levels of drinking, smoking, and drug use.
The ADHD symptom of inattention versus hyperactivity and oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) better predicts later substance use, suggest the authors, because "executive functions ***ociated with inattention and not hyperactivity may be at the root of the progression to substance use. A child may begin having poor academic performance and peer difficulties and then gravitate toward nonconformist peer groups as an adolescent where substance abuse is accepted as a way of life," said Molina.
The study may not have found strong prediction from symptoms of impulsivity because they are few and confounded with the hyperactivity symptoms. Both inattention and impulsivity are likely to play important roles in prediction of later substance use outcomes for ADHD children.
This study sheds light on the importance of early identification and treatment of problems with paying attention in childhood. Knowing the early signs of ADHD, providing early intervention, and providing help to teachers and parents through the teenage years, may help teachers and parents recognize risk factors and intervene before a child's use of alcohol and drugs turns into a life long dependence, said the authors.
Article: "Childhood Predictors of Adolescent Substance Use in a Longitudinal Study of Children With ADHD," Brooke S. G. Molina, Ph.D., Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and William E. Pelham, Jr., Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo; Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Vol. 112, No. 3.
Full text of the article is available from the APA Public Affairs Office or at http://www.apa.org/journals/abn/press_releases/august_2003/abn1123497... Brooke S. G. Molina, PhD can be reached by phone at 412-624-4633.
The American Psychological ***ociation (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest ***ociation of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 150,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 53 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial ***ociations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.

"Mark Probert" markprob...@lumbercartel.com

This is the same study which you previously posted. Here, the *article* fails to mention that proper diagnosis and treatment LOWERS the possibility of substance abuse by a factor of 6:1.
...

hawk ...@aol.comnospam (Hawki63)

good pickup Mark another example of Janny not bothering to READ what she posts!!! old word search all the time hmmm Janny...and so your opinion of TREATING adhd is what now???
hawki

jdrew63 ...@aol.com (Jan)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=97&ncid=751&e=9&u=/hs... 30818/hl_hsn/adhdraisesriskofsubstanceabuse ? Health - HealthDay ADHD Raises Risk of Substance Abuse Mon Aug 18, 7:14 PM ET Add Health - HealthDay to My Yahoo! By Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter (HealthDay is the new name for HealthScout News.) ?
MONDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDayNews) -- Children who are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to use illicit drugs as adolescents.
This group is also more likely to start using at an earlier age, says a study appearing in the August issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.
"The study confirms yet again that children with ADHD are indeed at risk for problems of greater substance abuse including cigarettes and alcohol," says Dr.
Andrew Adesman, director of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Schneider's Children's Hospital in New York City.
Oddly, though, these findings also have a silver lining. Recent studies have strongly suggested that Ritalin (news - web sites) and other drugs not only improve symptoms of ADHD but also reduce the risk for substance abuse.
One study found that Ritalin actually reduced substance abuse by a factor of six. The current study "really speaks of the need for parents to intervene for their kids," Adesman says. "The treatment of ADHD with medication has both short-term benefits in terms of academics and attention, but also long-term benefits in terms of prevention or minimizing later risks of drug, cigarettes, and alcohol. With proper treatment, children do better socially and make more appropriate decisions." ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders in children, affecting some 3 percent to 5 percent of school-age children. Children with ADHD are at risk for other behavior problems, including defiance and, eventually, more severe problems such as stealing and fighting.
These same conduct problems are also often linked to drug abuse. "This has led to lots of interest in whether ADHD is a risk factor for drug abuse if you don't have those [behavior] problems," says Brooke Molina, lead author of the study and ***ociate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
To try to tease out the different dimensions of the issue, Molina and her colleagues compared substance use and abuse between two groups of teenagers, the first consisting of 142 adolescents who had been diagnosed with ADHD and the second consisting of 100 controls without ADHD. All the participants were between 13 and 18 years old at the time of the study.
Inattention was ***essed separately from impulsivity/hyperactivity.
In general, teenagers who had been diagnosed with ADHD in childhood were more likely to use and abuse alcohol and drugs by the time they were teenagers.
Within that group, however, those teens with both ADHD and behavioral problems were at the highest risk for substance abuse.
Also within this group, children with severe inattention (as opposed to hyperactivity/impulsivity) were most at risk to develop alcohol and marijuana problems and to become cigarette smokers by the time they reached adolescence.
However, the researchers were less sure about that finding than about the finding that children with more severe symptoms in general tended to be at greater risk.
"We do believe that severity is in general likely to be a risk factor," Molina says.
The study raises a number of questions. For one thing, Molina and her colleagues are not sure if the risk of drug abuse is a long-term one that translates into adult drug or alcohol abuse.
"Following these kids into adulthood is going to be key in determining longevity," Molina says. "The kids with persistent ADHD but no conduct problems were more likely to drink or be tobacco smokers. Is that more experimenting in teenage years that goes away, or does it persist and end up being something of concern?" Also, researchers don't have a handle on why certain individuals with ADHD seem to be more vulnerable to drug abuse. "Not all kids with ADHD develop drug abuse, but we still don't know which kids are most likely to develop that problem," Molina says.
Then there is the issue of treatment. "The next hot-ticket item is going to be understanding the treatment ramifications for understanding drug abuse and that is still a wide open question," Molina concludes.

hawk ...@aol.comnospam (Hawki63)

Janny the more you post this the more obvious it is that you do NOT read what you post...even after half of the group points out to you terribly your comprehension is is there no hope for you??
sad that hawki

jdrew63 ...@aol.com (Jan)

***increases*** risk of **drug use in adolescence*** (Inattention was part of the problem in the first place, let's help our kids by giving them a drug to make it worse) ***set the stage for other problems (let's set them up, starting at age three) ***increase the risk*** (how stupid is that!!) for elevated **use and abuse of alcohol and heavier drugs and the earlier use of tobacco and (throw in some violent games, that helps also, along with very little discipline and no responsibility, plus no respect for elders, the good ole American way) said the authors. Furthermore, said Dr.
***72%*** of them) reported more drunkenness from alcohol, more alcohol problems, **substance abuse is accepted as a way of life,"*** said Molina.
(take prayer out of school and load the kids up on drugs!!!!!) UNREAL!!!
What do kids do BEFORE this rush of ADD/ADHD diagnosing and DRUGS came along.
Get serious and DO NOT DRUG KIDS!!!
Jan

kramtreborp1 ...@hotmail.com (Kram Treborp)

The CNS stimulants, actually increase attention span and, thus, make the child more attentive.
If need be, let's start treatment when appropriate. Mdication does not cause the problems, it PREVENTS the problem, by a factor of 6:1.
The *disorder* NOT THE TREATMENT increases the risk.
OOPS. ADHD is NOT caused by poor parenting as you imply. It is a *physical* difference in the brain,as shown by research using PET and other scanning systems.
It is outraqeous that parents did not get proper treatment for their children at an early age. I suspect they read Jan's posts.
Not in my world.
AND TREATMENT! TREATMENT! Not ignoring it, or using a supplement or herb.
Prayer in school is irrelevant to this issue.
What happened was that they went untreated, wound up becoming drug addicts like the article and study shows, and have ruined lives. Sad that you support ruined lives.
Do not drug kids. Get them properly treated,and if appropriate, use medications supervised by a doctor.
/s/ Mark Probert

mlow ...@bellsouth.net (Mark)

<snip> No, Jan, that's NOT what it says in the article *you* just posted.
Take a look at this snippet: "The treatment of ADHD with medication has both short-term benefits in terms of academics and attention, but also long-term benefits in terms of prevention or minimizing later risks of drug, cigarettes, and alcohol. With proper treatment, children do better socially and make more appropriate decisions." Quit picking articles based on title alone. You'll look like less of a fool if you actually read for comprehension before you post.
Mark, MD

"Mark Probert" markprob...@lumbercartel.com

She agrees that there should be proper treatment. I am just wondering what she calls proper treatment. I have yet to see her sage advice on this.

"Mark Probert" markprob...@lumbercartel.com

I wonder how she will handle the idea that methylphenidate is being studied as a *treatment* for cocaine addiction.

"Mark Probert" markprob...@lumbercartel.com

<>...
I am waiting for evidence that she comprehends.

jdrew63 ...@aol.com (Jan)

Yes, Mark it is!!
<snip> Don't even think about telling me what to do.
I could care less what you think of me. I do care about DRUGGING kids.
A pity organized medicine has convinced *fools* that giving young kids dugs like cocaine is the right thing to do.
Jan

hawk ...@aol.comnospam (Hawki63)

why then would you postt something about NOT drugging kids???
yikes Janny...you are losing it..
hawki

"Mark Probert" markprob...@lumbercartel.com

Did she ever have "it?"

mlow ...@bellsouth.net (Mark)

Do you see where it says, "The treatment of ADHD WITH MEDICATION [emphasis added by me]...minimizing later risks of drug..."?
The article *you posted* says that treating ADHD with appropriate medication has a protective effect, lessening the risk of these kids abusing illicit drugs.
What part do you not understand?
Mark, MD

"Mark Probert" markprob...@lumbercartel.com

<>...
Jan denies that ADHD exists.
After that, everything is just drugging kids.
Of course, if you deny that amalgam disease exists, you would be a liar, or a debunker, or a member of EOM (evil organized medicine).
She is such a hypocrite.

jdrew63 ...@aol.com (Jan)

...

mlow ...@bellsouth.net (Mark)

No, she's a dumb***.
Mark, MD

hawk ...@aol.comnospam (Hawki63)

yes...as they are other psychotropic meds...how about meth???
and the ones who sell,,snort,,mainstream it..hmmmm...are they the 3 year olds that YOU knew in your preschool??? must been really advanced preschoolers???
so you have said...funny that you didn't mention the alcohol and OTHER drug rehabs...does that mean ALL alcohol should be banned??? or that pain patients who depend upon "other controlled substances"...hmmm ...let's takee ALLLLLL of these poisons off the market....
then when YOU might need some kind of relief you won't be able to get it...
sounds fair to me what it tells me is that you have NO clue what you are talking about....not that is a new thing...
sad that...
hawki

jdrew63 ...@aol.com (Jan)

More bedside manner.
Jan

Eric Bohlman ebohl...@earthlink.net

If I had a sadistic streak, I'd tell a parent whose kid had just been diagnosed with appendicitis that one of the anesthetics used in the surgery has an identical mechanism of action to heroin.

jdrew63 ...@aol.com (Jan)

Typical debunker tactics.
Mentioning something else does nothing for the issue at hand.
Ritalin should never have p***ed the FDA.
It is given to kids under six, whose brains are still developing, so the rules aren't followed.
It is another of organized medicine's EVILS.
Jan

"D. C. Sessions" d...@lumbercartel.com

"D. C. Sessions" d...@lumbercartel.com

You're both right.
--
| Microsoft: "A reputation for releasing inferior software will make | | it more difficult for a software vendor to induce customers to pay | | for new products or new versions of existing products." | end

"D. C. Sessions" d...@lumbercartel.com

I love this from Jan -- as soon as anyone introduces the merest shred of logic or formal reasoning, she flips out and starts ranting about "debunker tactics." Consider the (rather extensive) list of "debunkers" that this introduces, starting with the ancient Greeks!
Of course not -- that's why you keep dragging Ben Kolb and dental amalgams into every discussion. Of course, when *you* do it, it's perfectly valid.
Now that the Final Authority on Everything has spoken, I'm sure they'll see the error of their ways.
I quite agree: we should never give anything to kids under six. Starting with DHMO.
Like neurontin and elavil?
--
| Microsoft: "A reputation for releasing inferior software will make | | it more difficult for a software vendor to induce customers to pay | | for new products or new versions of existing products." | end

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