Top

Published in:

01-08-2018 | Original Contribution

Sex-specific trajectories of ADHD symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood

Authors: Sabina Millenet, Manfred Laucht, Erika Hohm, Christine Jennen-Steinmetz, Sarah Hohmann, Martin H. Schmidt, Günter Esser, Tobias Banaschewski, Daniel Brandeis, Katrin Zohsel

Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | Issue 8/2018

Abstract

Reports of current ADHD symptoms in adults with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD are often discrepant: While one subgroup reports a particularly high level of current ADHD symptoms, another reports—in contrast—a very low level. The reasons for this difference remain unclear. Although sex might play a moderating role, it has not yet been examined in this regard. In an epidemiological cohort study from birth to young adulthood, childhood ADHD diagnoses were assessed at the ages of 4.5, 8, and 11 years based on parent ratings. Sex-specific development of ADHD symptoms was analyzed from the age of 15 to 25 years via self-reported ADHD symptoms in participants with (n = 47) and without childhood ADHD (n = 289) using a random coefficient regression model. The congruence between parent reports and adolescents’ self-ratings was examined, and the role of childhood ADHD diagnosis, childhood OCC/CD, and childhood internalizing disorder as possible sex-specific predictors of self-reported ADHD symptoms at age 25 years was investigated. With regard to self-reported ADHD symptoms, females with a childhood ADHD diagnosis reported significantly more ADHD symptoms compared to females without childhood ADHD and males with and without ADHD throughout adolescence and young adulthood. In contrast, males with childhood ADHD did not differ from control males either at age 15 or at age 25 years. Only in females did a childhood diagnosis of an externalizing disorder (ADHD and CD/ODD) predict self-reported ADHD symptoms by age 25 years. Our findings suggest that self-reports of young adults with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD are influenced by sex. Specifically, females with childhood ADHD report increased levels of ADHD symptoms upon reaching adulthood. To correctly evaluate symptoms and impairment in this subgroup, other, more objective, sources of information may be advisable, such as neurophysiological measures.

APA (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. American Psychiatric Association, Washington D.C.

Faraone SV, Biederman J, Mick E (2006) The age-dependent decline of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analysis of follow-up studies. Psychol Med 36(2):159–165. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003329170500471X CrossRefPubMed

Langley K, Fowler T, Ford T, Thapar AK, van den Bree M, Harold G, Owen MJ, O’Donovan MC, Thapar A (2010) Adolescent clinical outcomes for young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Br J Psychiatry 196(3):235–240. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.109.066274 CrossRefPubMed

Biederman J, Petty CR, Evans M, Small J, Faraone SV (2010) How persistent is ADHD? A controlled 10-year follow-up study of boys with ADHD. Psychiatry Res 177(3):299–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2009.12.010 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Caye A, Spadini AV, Karam RG, Grevet EH, Rovaris DL, Bau CH, Rohde LA, Kieling C (2016) Predictors of persistence of ADHD into adulthood: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 25(11):1151–1159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-016-0831-8 CrossRefPubMed

Moffitt TE, Houts R, Asherson P, Belsky DW, Corcoran DL, Hammerle M, Harrington H, Hogan S, Meier MH, Polanczyk GV, Poulton R, Ramrakha S, Sugden K, Williams B, Rohde LA, Caspi A (2015) Is adult ADHD a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder? Evidence from a four-decade longitudinal cohort study. Am J Psychiatry 172(10):967–977. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.14101266 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Barkley RA, Fischer M, Smallish L, Fletcher K (2002) The persistence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder into young adulthood as a function of reporting source and definition of disorder. J Abnorm Psychol 111(2):279–289CrossRefPubMed

Sibley MH, Pelham WE, Molina BS, Gnagy EM, Waxmonsky JG, Waschbusch DA, Derefinko KJ, Wymbs BT, Garefino AC, Babinski DE, Kuriyan AB (2012) When diagnosing ADHD in young adults emphasize informant reports, DSM items, and impairment. J Consult Clin Psychol 80(6):1052–1061. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029098 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Zucker M, Morris MK, Ingram SM, Morris RD, Bakeman R (2002) Concordance of self- and informant ratings of adults’ current and childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Psychol Assess 14(4):379–389CrossRefPubMed

10.

Katz N, Petscher Y, Welles T (2009) Diagnosing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in college students: an investigation of the impact of informant ratings on diagnosis and subjective impairment. J Atten Disord 13(3):277–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054708326112 CrossRefPubMed

11.

Magnusson P, Smari J, Sigurdardottir D, Baldursson G, Sigmundsson J, Kristjansson K, Sigurdardottir S, Hreidarsson S, Sigurbjornsdottir S, Gudmundsson OO (2006) Validity of self-report and informant rating scales of adult ADHD symptoms in comparison with a semistructured diagnostic interview. J Atten Disord 9(3):494–503. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054705283650 CrossRefPubMed

12.

Wolraich ML, Wibbelsman CJ, Brown TE, Evans SW, Gotlieb EM, Knight JR, Ross EC, Shubiner HH, Wender EH, Wilens T (2005) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among adolescents: a review of the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical implications. Pediatrics 115(6):1734–1746. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2004-1959 CrossRefPubMed

13.

Du Rietz E, Cheung CH, McLoughlin G, Brandeis D, Banaschewski T, Asherson P, Kuntsi J (2016) Self-report of ADHD shows limited agreement with objective markers of persistence and remittance. J Psychiatr Res 82:91–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.07.020 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

14.

Asherson P, Akehurst R, Kooij JJ, Huss M, Beusterien K, Sasane R, Gholizadeh S, Hodgkins P (2012) Under diagnosis of adult ADHD: cultural influences and societal burden. J Atten Disord 16(5 Suppl):20S–38S. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054711435360 CrossRefPubMed

15.

Hoza B, Pelham WE Jr, Dobbs J, Owens JS, Pillow DR (2002) Do boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have positive illusory self-concepts? J Abnorm Psychol 111(2):268–278CrossRefPubMed

16.

Hoza B, McQuade JD, Murray-Close D, Shoulberg E, Molina BS, Arnold LE, Swanson J, Hechtman L (2013) Does childhood positive self-perceptual bias mediate adolescent risky behavior in youth from the MTA study? J Consult Clin Psychol 81(5):846–858. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033536 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

17.

Hoza B, Murray-Close D, Arnold LE, Hinshaw SP, Hechtman L, Group MTAC (2010) Time-dependent changes in positively biased self-perceptions of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a developmental psychopathology perspective. Dev Psychopathol 22(2):375–390. https://doi.org/10.1017/s095457941000012x CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

18.

Knouse LE, Bagwell CL, Barkley RA, Murphy KR (2005) Accuracy of self-evaluation in adults with ADHD: evidence from a driving study. J Atten Disord 8(4):221–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054705280159 CrossRefPubMed

19.

Knouse LE, Mitchell JT (2015) Incautiously optimistic: positively-valenced cognitive avoidance in adult ADHD. Cogn Behav Pract 22(2):192–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2014.06.003 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

20.

Williamson D, Johnston C (2015) Gender differences in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a narrative review. Clin Psychol Rev 40:15–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.05.005 CrossRefPubMed

21.

Green CA, Pope CR (1999) Gender, psychosocial factors and the use of medical services: a longitudinal analysis. Soc Sci Med 48(10):1363–1372CrossRefPubMed

22.

Barsky AJ, Peekna HM, Borus JF (2001) Somatic symptom reporting in women and men. J Gen Intern Med 16(4):266–275CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

23.

Quinn PO, Madhoo M (2014) A review of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in women and girls: uncovering this hidden diagnosis. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 16(3). https://doi.org/10.4088/PCC.13r01596

24.

Rucklidge JJ, Kaplan BJ (1997) Psychological functioning of women identified in adulthood with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Atten Disord 2(3):167–176CrossRef

25.

Caye A, Rocha TB, Anselmi L, Murray J, Menezes AM, Barros FC, Goncalves H, Wehrmeister F, Jensen CM, Steinhausen HC, Swanson JM, Kieling C, Rohde LA (2016) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder trajectories from childhood to young adulthood: evidence from a birth cohort supporting a late-onset syndrome. JAMA Psychiatry 73(7):705–712. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0383 CrossRefPubMed

26.

Quinn P, Wigal S (2004) Perceptions of girls and ADHD: results from a national survey. MedGenMed 6(2):2PubMedPubMedCentral

27.

Laucht M, Esser G, Schmidt MH (1997) Developmental outcome of infants born with biological and psychosocial risks. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 38(7):843–853CrossRefPubMed

28.

Rutter M, Quinton D (1977) Psychiatric disorder—ecological factors and concepts of causation. In: McGurk M (ed) Ecological factors in human development. North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 173–187

29.

Esser G, Blanz B, Geisel B, Laucht M (1989) Mannheim parent interview—structured interview for child psychiatric disorders. Beltz, Weinheim

30.

Laucht M, Esser G, Schmidt MH (2001) Differential development of infants at risk for psychopathology: the moderating role of early maternal responsivity. Dev Med Child Neurol 43(5):292–300CrossRefPubMed

31.

Achenbach TM (1991) Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18 and 1991 profile. University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry, Burlington

32.

Achenbach TM (1991) Manual for the youth self-report and 1991 profile. University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry, Burlington

33.

Achenbach TM, Dumenci L, Rescorla LA (2001) Ratings of relations between DSM-IV diagnostic categories and items of the CBCL/6-18, TRF, and YSR. http://aseba.com/research/DSM6-18ratings.pdf. Accessed 16 Dec 2016

34.

Ebesutani C, Bernstein A, Nakamura BJ, Chorpita BF, Higa-McMillan CK, Weisz JR, The Research Network on Youth Mental H (2010) Concurrent Validity of the Child Behavior Checklist DSM-oriented scales: correspondence with DSM diagnoses and comparison to syndrome scales. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 32(3):373–384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-009-9174-9 CrossRefPubMed

35.

Achenbach TM (1991) Young adult self report. University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry, Burlington

36.

Sibley MH, Campez M, Raiker JS (2017) Reexamining ADHD-related self-reporting problems using polynomial regression. Assessment. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191117693349 CrossRefPubMed

37.

Ek U, Westerlund J, Holmberg K, Fernell E (2008) Self-esteem in children with attention and/or learning deficits: the importance of gender. Acta Paediatr 97(8):1125–1130. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00894.x CrossRefPubMed

38.

Rucklidge JJ, Tannock R (2001) Psychiatric, psychosocial, and cognitive functioning of female adolescents with ADHD. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 40(5):530–540. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200105000-00012 CrossRefPubMed

39.

Barkley RA, Knouse LE, Murphy KR (2011) Correspondence and disparity in the self- and other ratings of current and childhood ADHD symptoms and impairment in adults with ADHD. Psychol Assess 23(2):437–446. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022172 CrossRefPubMed

40.

Vildalen VU, Brevik EJ, Haavik J, Lundervold AJ (2016) Females With ADHD report more severe symptoms than males on the adult ADHD self-report scale. J Atten Disord. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054716659362 PubMedCrossRef

41.

Bruchmuller K, Margraf J, Schneider S (2012) Is ADHD diagnosed in accord with diagnostic criteria? Overdiagnosis and influence of client gender on diagnosis. J Consult Clin Psychol 80(1):128–138. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026582 CrossRefPubMed

42.

Meyer BJ, Stevenson J, Sonuga-Barke EJS (2017) Sex differences in the meaning of parent and teacher ratings of ADHD behaviors: an observational study. J Atten Disord. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054717723988 PubMedCrossRef

43.

Soffer SL, Mautone JA, Power TJ (2008) Understanding girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): applying research to clinical practice. Int J Behav Consul Ther 4:14–29CrossRef

44.

Biederman J, Kwon A, Aleardi M, Chouinard VA, Marino T, Cole H, Mick E, Faraone SV (2005) Absence of gender effects on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: findings in nonreferred subjects. Am J Psychiatry 162(6):1083–1089. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.6.1083 CrossRefPubMed

45.

Wiener J, Malone M, Varma A, Markel C, Biondic D, Tannock R (2012) Children’s perspective of their ADHD symptoms: Positive illusions, attributions, and stigma. Can J Sch Psychol 27:217–242CrossRef

46.

Van Loo KJ, Rydell RJ (2013) On the experience of feeling powerful: perceived power moderates the effect of stereotype threat on women’s math performance. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 39(3):387–400. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167212475320 CrossRefPubMed

47.

Mikami AY, Lorenzi J (2011) Gender and conduct problems predict peer functioning among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 40(5):777–786. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2011.597089 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

48.

Hasson R, Fine JG (2012) Gender differences among children with ADHD on continuous performance tests: a meta-analytic review. J Atten Disord 16(3):190–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054711427398 CrossRefPubMed

49.

Agnew-Blais JC, Polanczyk GV, Danese A, Wertz J, Moffitt TE, Arseneault L (2016) Evaluation of the persistence, remission, and emergence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young adulthood. JAMA Psychiatry 73(7):713–720. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0465 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

50.

Taylor MJ, Lichtenstein P, Larsson H, Anckarsater H, Greven CU, Ronald A (2016) Is there a female protective effect against attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? Evidence from two representative twin samples. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 55(6):504–512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2016.04.004 (e502) CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

51.

Ramtekkar UP, Reiersen AM, Todorov AA, Todd RD (2010) Sex and age differences in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and diagnoses: implications for DSM-V and ICD-11. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 49(3):217–228 (e211–213) PubMedPubMedCentral

Title: Sex-specific trajectories of ADHD symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood
Authors: Sabina Millenet
Manfred Laucht
Erika Hohm
Christine Jennen-Steinmetz
Sarah Hohmann
Martin H. Schmidt
Günter Esser
Tobias Banaschewski
Daniel Brandeis
Katrin Zohsel
Publication date: 01-08-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry / Issue 8/2018
Print ISSN: 1018-8827
Electronic ISSN: 1435-165X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1129-9

ACC 2024 Congress

Springer Medicine

Sex-specific trajectories of ADHD symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood

Abstract

ACC 2024 Congress

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 8/2018

Examining the intertwined development of prosocial skills and ASD symptoms in adolescence

Bullying: peer-to-peer maltreatment with severe consequences for child and adolescent mental health

Treatment of selective mutism: a 5-year follow-up study

Does the efficacy of parent–child training depend on maternal symptom improvement? Results from a randomized controlled trial on children and mothers both affected by attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Cytokine, chemokine and BDNF levels in medication-free pediatric patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder

Barriers and facilitators to parents seeking and accessing professional support for anxiety disorders in children: qualitative interview study