Follow-up studies of children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder show that they continue to have problems with restlessness, over-activity, impulsive behaviour and inattention, often resulting in serious academic, social and emotional problems in adolescence. Outcome in adulthood generally falls into three groups: fairly normal outcome, persistent attentional, social, emotional and impulse problems, and serious psychiatric and/or social pathology. Factors affecting outcome include characteristics related to the child (for example, health, temperament, IQ) and characteristics of the family (for example, socioeconomic status, emotional and psychological aspects of the family, family composition and structure, and the larger social and physical environment.