Linking early ADHD to adolescent and early adult outcomes among African Americans

The purpose of this study is to propose a mediational model for the mechanisms through which a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder between the ages of 10 and 12 predicts positive and negative early adult outcomes for African Americans. The study sample (n=211) was drawn from the Des Moines, Iowa subsample of the Family and Community Health Study. Participants were first assessed between the ages of 10 and 12, again between the ages of 12 and 18, and finally at 18 to 23. Findings indicate that a diagnosis of ADHD before age 13 indirectly predicted subsequent exclusionary school discipline and juvenile arrest in adolescence, and both arrests and educational attainment in young adulthood. These findings offer support for the School to Prison Pipeline model, showing that for some African American children, a childhood diagnosis of ADHD can lead to negative school experiences that result in harsh school-based discipline, which in turn open the door to justice system involvement spanning several developmental stages. •ADHD predicted exclusionary school discipline and juvenile arrest in adolescence.•ADHD predicted both arrests and lower educational attainment in young adulthood.•Lack of ADHD diagnosis predicted greater post-high-school education initiation.•Higher levels of parenting quality corresponded with better adult outcomes.•Higher levels of childhood poverty corresponded with worse adult outcomes.