Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) puts a teenager at risk for dropping out of high school or taking longer to graduate, compared to students with bipolar, panic, or other mental disorders, according to a new study from the University of California at Davis school of Medicine.
- Researchers went through data collected on 43,000 participants over age 18 years old from the US Census Bureau about the age of the onset of their diagnosis, their substance abuse, and high school graduation.
- The participants who suffered from ADHD had the highest dropout rate at 28.6%.
- Students with mania or panic disorders at rates of 26.6% and 24.9% respectively.
- Students with other psychiatric disorders had dropout rates in the high teens to low 20-percent ranges.
"Most people think that the student who is acting out, who is lying and stealing, is most likely to drop out of school," said senior author Julie Schweitzer. "We found that students with the most common type of ADHD have a higher likelihood of dropping out, and students with disciplinary problems."
Almost ten percent of all boys and six percent of girls have ADHD.
This study appears in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Labels: students, schools, academics, dropout
Posted By: Jane St. Clair
