The purpose of this study was to determine whether alcohol misuse is more likely among college students with AD/HD as compared with their non-AD/HD college peers. Forty-two students with well-defined AD/HD were recruited from an AD/HD Clinic and compared on a variety of alcohol use and misuse indices to a demographically-equivalent group of 42 college students without AD/HD. Groups were found to have equivalent rates of alcohol use, as predicted.

In terms of potential for alcohol misuse, college students with AD/HD had lower perceived risk about alcohol use than non-AD/HD college peers, as predicted. However, they were also found to have lower positive expectancies about alcohol use, which was opposite the direction predicted. Post hoc analyses revealed that non-medicated students with AD/HD had lower perceived risk and lower positive expectancies about alcohol use than medicated students with AD/HD and non-AD/HD college students. Such findings put non-medicated students with AD/HD at differential risk for alcohol misuse in college. Implications for future research and clinical implications are discussed.