Attention Deficit and Adult Crime Linked

Yale University issued the following news release:

Research Identifies Link Between Childhood ADHD And Adult Crime

Schoolchildren with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder are
substantially more likely to engage in many types of criminal activity
such as burglary, theft and drug dealing as they grow older, a new study
by the Yale School of Public Health has found.

The research was published in The Journal of Mental Health Policy and
Economics.

An analysis of more than 10,000 adolescents who were later surveyed as
young adults found that children with ADHD were twice as likely to
commit theft later in life and had a 50 percent higher incidence of
selling drugs.
The research results are believed to be the first evidence of a link
between illegal activity and the childhood condition commonly known as
ADHD that uses a national sample of individuals.

Authors Jason M. Fletcher, assistant professor at the school, and
Barbara Wolfe of the University of Wisconsin-Madison say the findings
suggest that children exhibiting ADHD symptoms should be viewed as an at-
risk group and that intervention programs might be appropriate.

Researchers estimate that crimes where ADHD is a factor cost society $2
billion to $4 billion annually. "While much research has shown links between

ADHD and short-term educational outcomes, this research suggests significant

longer-term consequences in other domains, such as criminal activities," said
Fletcher, the study's lead author.

He added, "We also found important differences in the association
between adult crime and the type of childhood ADHD symptoms-whether
hyperactive or inattentive or both."

It is estimated that ADHD affects between 2 percent to 10 percent of
schoolchildren in the United States. The condition is far more prevalent

in males than females and is much higher among close relatives than

in the general population, suggesting a genetic origin.
Treatment for ADHD, meanwhile, has increased sharply over the past 20
years with pharmaceuticals, such as Ritalin, now commonly used.

Fletcher said the link between ADHD and criminal activity will be
further investigated by examining whether pharmacological treatments may
reduce the risk of illegal activities as an adult. He is also
investigating the relationships between childhood ADHD symptoms and
labor market outcomes, such as employment and earnings.