Medications

Most children with ADHD are not receiving medications: Study

Most children with parent-reported attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not receiving medications and have never received outpatient mental health care, according to a study published online April 28 in JAMA ...

Attention deficit disorders

ADHD tied to higher fracture risk in children

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have higher risk of fractures than matched children without ADHD, according to a study published April 1 in the European Journal of Pediatrics.

Attention deficit disorders

Study finds early signs that may help predict ADHD risk

Information available at birth may help to identify children with higher likelihood of developing ADHD, according to new research from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Psychology & Psychiatry

Effort underway to develop first US guidelines for ADHD in adults

The number of diagnosed cases of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have increased significantly among adults in the United States within the past decade, which could be due to many factors, including overdiagnosis. ...

Health

Housing quality may affect kids with ADHD

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most frequently diagnosed behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorder in childhood. Children with ADHD experience difficulty with one or more of its core symptoms—inattention, ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Brain training probably doesn't help ADHD, says new study

Drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be very effective, but they can come with a range of undesirable side-effects, such as increased anxiety, trouble sleeping and loss of appetite. It is not ...

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder. It is characterized primarily by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age.

ADHD is the most commonly studied and diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children, affecting about 3 to 5 percent of children globally and diagnosed in about 2 to 16 percent of school aged children. It is a chronic disorder with 30 to 50 percent of those individuals diagnosed in childhood continuing to have symptoms into adulthood. Adolescents and adults with ADHD tend to develop coping mechanisms to compensate for some or all of their impairments. It is estimated that 4.7 percent of American adults live with ADHD. Standardized rating scales such as the World Health Organization's Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale can be used for ADHD screening and assessment of the disorder's symptoms' severity.

ADHD is diagnosed two to four times more frequently in boys than in girls, though studies suggest this discrepancy may be partially due to subjective bias of referring teachers. ADHD management usually involves some combination of medications, behavior modifications, lifestyle changes, and counseling. Its symptoms can be difficult to differentiate from other disorders, increasing the likelihood that the diagnosis of ADHD will be missed. In addition, most clinicians have not received formal training in the assessment and treatment of ADHD, in particular in adult patients.

ADHD and its diagnosis and treatment have been considered controversial since the 1970s. The controversies have involved clinicians, teachers, policymakers, parents and the media. Topics include ADHD's causes, and the use of stimulant medications in its treatment. Most healthcare providers accept that ADHD is a genuine disorder with debate in the scientific community centering mainly around how it is diagnosed and treated. The American Medical Association concluded in 1998 that the diagnostic criteria for ADHD are based on extensive research and, if applied appropriately, lead to the diagnosis with high reliability.

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