Report: Teens with ADHD more likely to drop out of school

Research from the University of California (UC) Davis School of Medicine shows teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to drop out of high school than kids who have other disciplinary problems.

ADHD affects students' ability to be successful in school which, in turn, limits their potential success in life, researchers from the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute say. Basic classroom tasks like paying attention and completing homework are difficult for teens with ADHD, but enrolling them in therapeutic boarding schools can benefit them in ways that traditional classrooms cannot.

One expert says supporting mental health interventions for students may play a large role in reducing high school dropout rates. Approximately 29 percent of teens with a combined type of ADHD - a form of hyperactive and inattentive symptoms - drop out of high school. Meanwhile, only 15 percent of teens without any psychiatric disorders stopped going to class.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 4.5 million children are diagnosed with ADHD in the U.S. Approximately 9.5 percent of boys and 5.9 percent of girls are diagnosed with the condition.