Table 1.

Moderators and Mediators of MTA Treatment Effects

Moderator	Effect
Comorbid Anxiety	Responded equally well to behavioral treatment and medication; most treatment responsive subgroup
Comorbid ODD/CD	Medication required for benefit; worse outcomes than ADHD alone
Comorbid Anxiety + ODD/CD	Greater benefits from Comb treatments than other groups
Comorbid manic symptoms	No effect on medication response or side effects
Receipt of Public Assistance	Benefit more from Comb than medication alone; may be related to poorer treatment attendance
Minorities	African-Americans responded better to behavioral treatments alone; Hispanics responded better to Comb thanMedMgt; BUT no differences after controlling for public assistance. Minorities in general responded better to Comb than to MedMgt even after controlling for SES.
Maternal Depression + Severe ADHD	Lower rates of excellent response (48% vs. 73%)
Maternal Depression +Severe ADHD +IQ<100	Lowest rates of excellent response (10%)
Female Gender	Overall few differences, but Comb needed for effect on hyperactivity-impulsivity
Prenatal Exposure to Maternal Smoking	Increased growth suppression in children with early and persistent stimulant exposure
Mediator	Effect
Attendance at Medication Visits	80%+ related to better treatment response
Attendance at Behavioral Treatment Visits	Unrelated to treatment response as defined in this study
Changes in Parental Discipline Practices	Improved teacher-rated social skills

Note. The only long-term predictor effect maintained at 36 months was socio-economic status (e.g., low status predicted worse outcomes). Girls also had better long-term outcomes.