ADHD in adolescence
ADHD may have an effect on all aspects of a teen's life. In addition to causing academic problems for teens, ADHD may lead to difficulty maintaining friendships, focusing on sports or other after-school activities, and relating with family members.² Over the long term, untreated ADHD may have a lasting, negative impact on job success and social-emotional development.

In fact, studies suggest that untreated ADHD may have some very serious consequences including the following:

Schooling

• Up to 58% of children with ADHD have failed a grade³
• As many as 30% of teens with ADHD drop out of or don't complete high school, compared with 10% of non-ADHD teens³

Impulsive behavior

• As many as 40% of teens with ADHD also have conduct disorder (CD), a condition linked with bullying, physical cruelty, use of weapons and other behaviors that can put them in trouble with the law²

Sexual health

• 17% of young adults with ADHD are likely to have contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD), compared with 4% of those without ADHD³
• 38% of young adults with ADHD are likely to have been pregnant or caused a pregnancy, compared with 4% of those without the condition³

Injury rates

• People with ADHD use more than double the amount of health services as people without ADHD—not including the cost of ADHD treatment⁵
• Adolescents who did not take their ADHD medication regularly had:
  
  • Four times as many serious injuries²
  • Three times as many motor vehicle accidents²

However, ADHD may be successfully treated. Today's ADHD medications, like ADDERALL XR, have come a long way in providing better symptom control.¹