Children and adolescents with ADHD followed up to adulthood: a systematic review of long-term outcomes.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nTo highlight the clinical and social outcomes among adults who suffered from ADHD in their childhood/adolescence.\n\n\nMETHOD\nPubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus databases were searched for prospective studies published during the last 5 years addressing patients with ADHD in childhood/adolescence followed up to adulthood. We also included studies published before 2015 reported in other reviews with similar outcomes.\n\n\nRESULTS\n1485 studies were identified but only 39 were included for qualitative and 27 for quantitative analysis. Overall, we found that ADHD persisted into adulthood with a mean rate of 43% and was mainly associated with both substance/alcohol use disorders and antisocial behavior and, less frequently, with anxiety and depressive disorders. The prevalence of persistent ADHD in adulthood reported by studies published after 2011 (55%) was higher than that reported by studies published previously from 1985 to 2011 (34%), suggesting a greater focus on ADHD.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nOur results highlight that ADHD can be considered not only a neurodevelopmental disorder but a persistent and complex condition, with detrimental consequences for quality of life in adulthood.