This study followed males from the Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study. It compared 326 men who had been diagnosed with ADHD as children and treated at a clinic with 213 men from the community who did not have ADHD. The men were young adults when their education and work were measured.
The ADHD group did worse on nearly all education and work outcomes. Among those aged 23 to 32, fewer had earned a four-year college degree (15% compared with 48%). Very few had a graduate degree (.06% compared with 5.4%). The ADHD group was about 11 times more likely to be out of work and not in school.
Work problems were also more common. More of the ADHD group had ever been fired (61% compared with 43%) and laid off (33% compared with 13%). Their top hourly pay was lower on average ($14.22 compared with $16.50).
The diagnosis by itself did not predict how far the men went in school. Instead, academic problems, discipline problems, and achievement test scores at age 17 predicted post-high-school education. The diagnosis together with academic problems predicted losing a job. The men were clinic-referred, so they may not stand for all children with ADHD.
Source: Kuriyan A, Pelham W, Molina B, et al.. Young Adult Educational and Vocational Outcomes of Children Diagnosed with ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology (2012). doi:10.1007/s10802-012-9658-z