NEWS RELEASE -
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at risk for alcohol problems


Public release date: 26-Mar-2007

Contact: Jocelyn Uhl Duffy

uhljh@upmc.edu
412-647-3555
University of Pittsburgh

Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D.
hinshaw@berkeley.edu
510-643-8586
University of California Berkeley

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at risk for alcohol problems

Parental alcoholism and family stress can also facilitate the development of alcohol problems

• Prior research has shown that children with ADHD can develop alcohol problems later in life.
• Two studies confirm this association, indicating that drinking problems begin around age 15.
• Parental alcoholism and family stress appear to add to the risk of children with ADHD developing alcohol problems themselves.

Researchers believe that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for alcohol- as well as other substance-related problems as they grow older. Yet the research is not always consistent. Two new studies help to confirm that ADHD is a risk factor for alcohol problems; adding that parental alcoholism and stressful experiences in the family play an important role in this risk.
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