Data from: Analysis of personal and family factors in the persistence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: results of a prospective follow-up study in childhood

Objectives: To study the course of ADHD during childhood and analyze
possible personal and family predictor variables of the results. Method:
Sixty-one children with ADHD who were between 6 and 12 years old at the
baseline assessment were evaluated 30 months later (mean age at baseline:
8.70 ± 1.97; mean age at follow-up: 10.98 ± 2.19). Status of ADHD in
follow-up was identified as persistent (met DSM-IV-TR criteria according
to parents’ and teachers’ ratings), contextually persistent (met ADHD
criteria according to one informant, and there was functional impairment)
and remitted ADHD (with subthreshold clinical symptomatology). Associated
psychological disorders of the three groups were analyzed in the follow-up
with the Conners' Rating Scales. The groups were compared on ADHD
characteristics (symptoms of ADHD and impairment), child psychopathology,
executive functioning (EF; inhibition, working memory) and parenting
characteristics (parental stress and discipline styles) at baseline.
Results: At the follow-up, 55.7% of the children continued to meet the
DSM-IV-TR criteria for ADHD, 29.5% showed contextual persistence, and
14.8% presented remission of the disorder. The persistent and contextually
persistent ADHD groups showed more associated psychological disorders.
Inattention, oppositional problems, cognitive problems and impairment at
baseline distinguished the remitted ADHD children from the persistent and
contextually persistent ADHD children. Moreover, the persistent groups had
significantly more emotional liability and higher parental stress than the
group in remission, while no differences in EF where found among the
groups. Conclusions: ADHD children continue to present symptoms, as well
as comorbid psychological problems, during adolescence and early
adulthood. These findings confirm that persistence of ADHD is associated
with child psychopathology, parental stress and impairment in childhood.