Long‐term criminal outcome of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. (10th April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dalsgaard, Søren; Mortensen, Preben Bo; Frydenberg, Morten; Thomsen, Per Hove
• Is Part Of: Criminal behaviour and mental health. Volume 23:Number 2(2013)
• Page Start: 86
• Page End: 98
• Publication Date: 2013-04-10
• Subjects: Forensic psychiatry -- Periodicals; Criminal behavior -- Periodicals; Criminal psychology -- Periodicals; Criminal Psychology -- Periodicals; Dangerous Behavior -- Periodicals; Mental Disorders -- Periodicals; Comportement criminel; Criminel; Psychologie; Santé mentale; Psychiatrie médico-légale; Psychologie criminelle; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 364.305
• DOI: 10.1002/cbm.1860
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0957-9664

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <sec id="cbm1860-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Long‐term outcome studies of child psychiatric populations are often limited by attrition. Our study uses the Danish National Crime Register to report on the largest and most complete prospective study of adult criminality as an outcome for children with socioeconomic status attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is the first to report on the adult criminal outcome of girls with ADHD.</p> </sec> <sec id="cbm1860-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Aims</title> <p>To estimate the relative risk (RR) of adult criminal convictions of children with ADHD compared with the rate in the general population.</p> </sec> <sec id="cbm1860-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>A clinical sample of 206 children who had attended a regional child and adolescent psychiatric clinic in Denmark between 1968 and 1989 and received a diagnosis of ADHD was identified. Official criminal conviction data were collected for all of them up to the year 2000 when their mean age was 31 years. Their rate of sustaining at least one criminal conviction was compared with that in an age‐matched general population sample.</p> </sec> <sec id="cbm1860-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Ninety‐seven (47%) of the children with ADHD had criminal convictions in adulthood. Children with ADHD were about five times more likely to sustain convictions than their peers in the general population (rate ratio (RR) 5.6, 95% confidence interval 5.2–6.1) and twelve times more likely to have violent convictions (RR 12.0, 95% confidence interval 9.9–14.5). Fifty‐four (26%) of the children with ADHD without any conduct problems in childhood were convicted in adulthood. Girls with ADHD were also at increased risk of criminal convictions.</p> </sec> <sec id="cbm1860-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Children with ADHD have a higher risk of criminal convictions in adulthood than previously documented, and both girls and boys are at increased risk. Co‐morbid conduct problems in childhood are highly predictive of criminal convictions in adulthood. Even in the absence of conduct problems, however, childhood ADHD is associated with increased risk of criminality. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</p> </sec> </abstract>