Girls with ADHD More Inclined to Abuse Drugs

According to the conclusions of a new scientific study, it would appear that girls suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to start using and abusing drugs that boys who suffer from the same condition.

The finding was made by a team of investigators in Finland, who also found that the incidence of ADHD is a lot higher in boys than in girls. More than 1,545 children, aged 11 to 12, were analyzed during the study, in order to tease out these conclusions.

Researchers worked together with parents and teachers to conduct the comprehensive research, which attempted to determine the risk factors associated with this disorder. The test subjects were tested once at 11-12, and then again at the age of 14.

A third investigation was carried out via questionnaires, when the participants were aged between 17 and 18. The latter step was taken so that researchers could figure out which one of the children was abusing illegal substances.

Scientists found that, in women, ADHD symptoms could be used as a predictor for alcohol and drug abuse at the age of 14. In boys, the same direct correlation could not be extracted based on the available evidence, PsychCentral reports.

“Inattentiveness and hyperactivity may be more predictive of alcohol use disorders and maladaptive patterns of alcohol and illicit drug use among girls than boys,” explains Dr. Elina Sihvola, a psychologist at the University of Helsinki.

“The importance of these behavioral symptoms should be assessed further in the community, as they could jeopardize adolescents’ successful transitioning into adult roles,” the team leader adds.

ADHD is becoming an increasingly widespread condition, with more than 2 million children in the United States alone currently on medication to treat its effects. Recently, studies have also shown that the disorder can change the actual structure of the brain.

Between 2 and 16 percent of school-aged children worldwide suffer from the chronic disorder. Only around half of them will be cured before they reach adulthood. In the US, 4.7 percent of all adults have at least some symptoms of ADHD.