Linkages between child abuse and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in girls: behavioral and social correlates.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to examine whether girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk of having histories of abuse and to assess whether the presence of an abuse history may constitute a distinct subgroup of youth with ADHD.

Method: We examined rates and correlates of child abuse in an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n=140) and a matched comparison sample of girls without ADHD (n=88), all aged 6-12 years. A thorough chart review reliably established documented rates of physical and sexual abuse in both samples.