ADHD Treatment Less Risky Than Nontreatment : The risk for substance abuse in untreated patients is 75%, compared with 25% in treated patients.

The data suggest that if a parent has ADHD and a child has ADHD, the child has a high likelihood of having adult ADHD. If the parent had ADHD but no longer has ADHD, the child is likely to grow out of it.

Other factors associated with increased risk of persistent ADHD include living in a chaotic and tumultuous environment, and having comorbid psychiatric conditions, Dr. Goodman noted.