Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Psychopharmacology and Aggression. I: A Meta-Analysis of Stimulant Effects on Overt/Covert Aggression-Related Behaviors in ADHD

  • Daniel F. Connor
  • , Stephen J. Glatt
  • , Ivan D. Lopez
  • , Denise Jackson
  • , Richard H. Melloni
  • University of Massachusetts Medical School
  • Northeastern University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

282 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To determine by meta-analysis the effect size for stimulants on overt and covert aggression-related behaviors in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), separately from stimulant effects on the core symptoms of ADHD. Method: A review of the literature from 1970 to 2001 revealed 28 studies meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria for meta-analysis. These studies yielded 28 independent effects of overt aggression and 7 independent effects of covert aggression. Results: The overall weighted mean effect size was 0.84 for overt and 0.69 for covert aggression related behaviors in ADHD. Comorbid conduct disorder is associated with diminishing stimulant effect size for overt aggression. Conclusion: Stimulant effects for aggression-related behaviors in ADHD have effect sizes similar to those for the core symptoms of ADHD.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)253-261
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Volume41
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2002

Keywords

  • Aggression
  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
  • Conduct problems
  • Subtyping

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Psychopharmacology and Aggression. I: A Meta-Analysis of Stimulant Effects on Overt/Covert Aggression-Related Behaviors in ADHD'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this