Abstract
Decreased success at work and educational attainment by adulthood are of concern for children with ADHD given their widely
documented academic difficulties; however there are few studies that have examined this empirically and even fewer that have
studied predictors and individual variability of these outcomes. The current study compares young adults with and without
a childhood diagnosis of ADHD on educational and occupational outcomes and the predictors of these outcomes. Participants
were from the Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study (PALS), a prospective study with yearly data collection. Significant group
differences were found for nearly all variables such that educational and occupational attainment was lower for adults with
compared to adults without histories of childhood ADHD. Despite the mean difference, educational functioning was wide-ranging.
High school academic achievement significantly predicted enrollment in post-high school education and academic and disciplinary
problems mediated the relationship between childhood ADHD and post-high school education. Interestingly, ADHD diagnosis and
disciplinary problems negatively predicted occupational status while enrollment in post-high school education was a positive
predictor. Job loss was positively predicted by a higher rate of academic problems and diagnosis of ADHD. This study supports
the need for interventions that target the child and adolescent predictors of later educational and occupational outcomes
in addition to continuing treatment of ADHD in young adulthood targeting developmentally appropriate milestones, such as completing
post-high school education and gaining and maintaining stable employment.
documented academic difficulties; however there are few studies that have examined this empirically and even fewer that have
studied predictors and individual variability of these outcomes. The current study compares young adults with and without
a childhood diagnosis of ADHD on educational and occupational outcomes and the predictors of these outcomes. Participants
were from the Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study (PALS), a prospective study with yearly data collection. Significant group
differences were found for nearly all variables such that educational and occupational attainment was lower for adults with
compared to adults without histories of childhood ADHD. Despite the mean difference, educational functioning was wide-ranging.
High school academic achievement significantly predicted enrollment in post-high school education and academic and disciplinary
problems mediated the relationship between childhood ADHD and post-high school education. Interestingly, ADHD diagnosis and
disciplinary problems negatively predicted occupational status while enrollment in post-high school education was a positive
predictor. Job loss was positively predicted by a higher rate of academic problems and diagnosis of ADHD. This study supports
the need for interventions that target the child and adolescent predictors of later educational and occupational outcomes
in addition to continuing treatment of ADHD in young adulthood targeting developmentally appropriate milestones, such as completing
post-high school education and gaining and maintaining stable employment.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-15
- DOI 10.1007/s10802-012-9658-z
- Authors
- Aparajita B. Kuriyan, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, AHC 1, Room 140, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- William E. Pelham Jr., Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, AHC 1, Room 140, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Brooke S. G. Molina, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O’Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Daniel A. Waschbusch, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, AHC 1, Room 140, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Elizabeth M. Gnagy, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, AHC 1, Room 140, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Margaret H. Sibley, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, AHC 1, Room 140, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Dara E. Babinski, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, AHC 1, Room 140, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Christine Walther, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O’Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- JeeWon Cheong, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O’Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Jihnhee Yu, State University of New York at Buffalo, 106 Diefendorf Hall, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
- Kristine M. Kent, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, AHC 1, Room 140, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Journal Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2835
- Print ISSN 0091-0627