Treatment of ADHD for at least three years may prevent long-term complications: a preliminary study on long-term prognosis of children diagnosed with ADHD at a single center in Turkey/Uc yil ve uzerindeki DEHB tedavisi uzun donem komplikasyonlari engelleyebilir: Turkiye'de tek bir merkezde DEHB'li cocuklarin uzun donem prognozu ile ilgili bir on calisma

Objective: ADHD is known to be associated with psychiatric comorbidities and psychosocial adversities in the long term. The existing literature is focused on predominantly Western samples. There are no studies evaluating long- term functionality of youth diagnosed with ADHD in Turkey. Methods: Patients diagnosed with ADHD at a study center in between 2011 and 2012 were contacted and current functionality was assessed via phone interviews. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to determine correlates o f functioning. Sequen tial logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate predictors of still receiving treatment for ADHD, improvement in attention/ academics, improvement in behavior and in peer relationships. p was set at 0.05. Results: Information on functioning of 433 patients (78.3% male) could be collected. Male patients with ADHD tended to be more frequently under treatment at follow-up and they displayed behavior problems at follow-up significantly more frequently. Legal problems were reported in 3.7% and substance use in 2.3%. Discussion: Treatment for ADHD lasting at least 3 years predicted improved functioning and less psychosocial adversity. Earlier diagnosis of ADHD and longer treatment appears to protect against psychosocial adversity also in Turkish samples. Multicenter studies from Turkey with larger samples are needed. Key words: ADHD, long-term, follow-up, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, functioning Amac: DEHB uzun donemde psikiyatrik komorbiditeler ve ruhsal-toplumsal zorluklarla iliskili olan bir bozukluktur. Gunumuzde literatur daha cok batili kaynaklardan edinilmektedir. Turkiye'de DEHB tanili genclerin uzun donem islevsellikleri ile ilgili bir calisma bulunmamaktadir. Yontem: 2011 ve 2012 yillarinda bir cocuk ve ergen psikiyatrisi merkezinde DEHB tanisi almis olan cocuklara ulasildi ve telefon gorusmeleriyle simdiki islevselliklerine dair bilgiler alindi. Islevsellikteki korelasyonlari degerlendirmek icin tek degiskenli ve iki degiskenli analizler uygulandi. Sirali lojistik regresyon analizleri halen DEHB tedavisi aliyor olma, dikkat/akademik islevsellik, davranis ve akran iliskilerindeki duzelmeyi tahmin etmek icin kullanildi. p