Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can persist into adulthood with a continuation of the pattern of childhood psychopathology, cognition and functioning. Adult comorbidities include substance use disorders, antisocial personality disorder, anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that as in children, methylphenidate treatment for adults can lead to a robust, dose-dependent improvement in ADHD symptoms. Future research is needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of long-term treatment with methylphenidate (MPH).
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AndersonJ. C., WilliamsS., McGeeR., & SilvaP. A.. (1987). DSM-III disorders in preadolescent children. Prevalence in a large sample from the general population.Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 69–76.
2.
BarkleyR. A.. (1990). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment.New York: Guilford Press.
3.
BeckA., WardC., & MendelsonM.. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression.Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.
4.
BiedermanJ., FaraoneS. V., KeenanK., BenjaminJ., KrifcherB., MooreC. (1992). Further evidence for family-genetic risk factors in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Patterns of comorbidity in probands and relatives in psychiatrically and pediatrically referred samples.Archives of General Psychiatry, 49(9), 728–738.
5.
BiedermanJ., FaraoneS. V., KeenanK., KneeD., & TsuangM. T.. (1990). Family-genetic and psychosocial risk factors in DSM-III attention deficit disorder.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29(4), 526–533.
6.
BiedermanJ., FaraoneS. V., KeenanK., SteingardR., & TsuangM. T.. (1991). Familial association between attention deficit disorder and anxiety disorders.American Journal of Psychiatry, 148(2), 251–256.
7.
BiedermanJ., FaraoneS.V., KneeD., & MunirK.. (1990). Retrospective assessment of DSM-III attention deficit disorder in nonreferred individuals.Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 51(3), 102–106.
8.
BiedermanJ., FaraoneS. V., SpencerT., WilensT., MickE., & LapeyK. A.. (1994). Gender differences in a sample of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Psychiatry Research, 53(1), 13–29.
9.
BiedermanJ., FaraoneS. V., SpencerT., WilensT., NormanD., LapeyK. A. (1993). Patterns of psychiatric comorbidity, cognition, and psychosocial functioning in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.American Journal of Psychiatry, 150(12), 1792–1798.
10.
BiedermanJ., MickE., FaraoneS. V., BraatenE., DoyleA., SpencerT. (2002). Influence of gender on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children referred to a psychiatric clinic.American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(1), 36–42.
11.
BiedermanJ., MunirK., KneeD., HabelowW., ArmentanoM., AutorS. (1986). A family study of patients with attention deficit disorder and normal controls.Journal of Psychiatric Research, 20(4), 263–274.
12.
BirdH. R., CaninoG., Rubio-StipecM., GouldM. S., RiberaJ., SesmanM. (1988). Estimates of the prevalence of childhood maladjustment in a community survey in Puerto Rico. The use of combined measures.Archives of General Psychiatry, 45(12), 1120–1126.
13.
DuPaulG.. (1990). The ADHD Rating Scale: Normative data, reliability, and validity. Unpublished manuscript, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester.
14.
FaraoneS. V., BiedermanJ., MickE., DoyleA. E., WilensT., SpencerT. (2001). A family study of psychiatric comorbidity in girls and boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Biological Psychiatry, 50, 586–592.
15.
GittelmanR., MannuzzaS., ShenkerR., & BonaguraN.. (1985). Hyperactive boys almost grown up. I. Psychiatric status.Archives of General Psychiatry, 42(10), 937–947.
HamiltonM.. (1959). The assessment of anxiety states by rating.British Journal of Medical Psychology, 32, 50–55.
18.
HamiltonM.. (1960). A rating scale for depression.Journal of Neurological and Neurosurgical Psychiatry, 23, 56–62.
19.
IaboniF., BouffardR., MindeK., & HechtmanL.. (1996). The efficacy of methylphenidate in treating adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Paper presented at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Philadelphia, PA.
20.
KleinR. G., & MannuzzaS.. (1989). The long-term outcome of the attention deficit disorder/hyperkinetic syndrome. In SagvoldenT., & ArcherT. (Eds.), Attention Deficit Disorder, Clinical and Basic Research (pp. 71–91). Hillside, NJ: Erlbaum Assoc.
21.
KleinR. G., & MannuzzaS.. (1991). Long-term outcome of hyperactive children: A review.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30(3), 383–387.
22.
MannuzzaS., KleinR. G., & AddalliK. A.. (1991). Young adult mental status of hyperactive boys and their brothers: A prospective follow-up study.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30(5), 743–751.
23.
MattesJ. A., BoswellL., & OliverH.. (1984). Methylphenidate effects on symptoms of attention deficit disorder in adults.Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 1059–1063.
24.
National Institute of Mental Health. (1985). CGI (Clinical Global Impression) Scale—NIMH.Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 21, 839–844.
25.
SpencerT., WilensT., BiedermanJ., FaraoneS. V., AblonJ. S., & LapeyK.. (1995). A double-blind, crossover comparison of methylphenidate and placebo in adults with childhood-onset attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.Archives of General Psychiatry, 52(6), 434–443.
26.
SpencerT. J., BiedermanJ., WilensT., HardingM., O'DonnellD., & GriffinS.. (1996). Pharmacotherapy of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder across the lifecycle.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35(4), 409–432.
27.
ThorleyG.. (1984). Review of follow-up and follow-back studies of childhood hyperactivity.Psychological Bulletin, 96(1), 116–132.
28.
WeissG., HechtmanL., MilroyT., & PerlmanT.. (1985). Psychiatric status of hyperactives as adults: a controlled prospective 15-year follow-up of 63 hyperactive children.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24(2), 211–220.
29.
WeissG., HechtmanL., PerlmanT., HopkinsJ., & WenerA.. (1979). Hyperactives as young adults: A controlled prospective ten-year follow-up of 75 children.Archives of General Psychiatry, 36(6), 675–681.
30.
WeissG., & HechtmanL. T.. (1986). Hyperactive children grown up.New York: The Guilford Press.
31.
WenderP. H., ReimherrF. W., WoodD., & WardM.. (1985). A controlled study of methylphenidate in the treatment of attention deficit disorder, residual type, in adults.American Journal of Psychiatry, 142(5), 547–552.
32.
WilensT., & BiedermanJ.. (1992). The stimulants. In SchafferD. (Ed.), Psychiatric Clinics of North America (Vol. 15, pp. 191–222). Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.
33.
WoodD. R., ReimherrF. W., WenderP. H., & JohnsonG. E.. (1976). Diagnosis and treatment of minimal brain dysfunction in adults: A preliminary report.Archives of General Psychiatry, 33(12), 1453–1460.