What
Is Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric
disorder of childhood, estimated to affect 3 to 5 percent of
school-aged children. Two to three times as many boys as girls are
affected by ADHD. Research shows that ADHD tends to run in families.
The core symptoms of ADHD include developmentally inappropriate
levels of attention, concentration, activity, distractibility, and
impulsivity. Children with ADHD usually have impaired
functioning in peer relationships and multiple settings including home
and school. |
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It is hard for these children to control
their behavior and/or pay attention. It is estimated that between 3
and 5 percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million
children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to
30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD.
ATLANTA, June 1 - Stimulants used to
treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that are
accidentally overdosed or trigger adverse reactions lead to more than
3,000 emergency room visits a year, estimate CDC researchers.
What Treatments
Are Available for ADHD?
Psychostimulant medications,
including methylphenidate, amphetamine, and pemoline, are by far the
most widely researched and commonly prescribed treatments for ADHD.
Numerous short term studies have established the safety and efficacy
of stimulants and psychosocial treatments for alleviating the symptoms
of ADHD.
A multisite study of children with ADHD recently concluded that the
two most effective treatment modalities for elementary school children
with ADHD are a closely monitored medication treatment and a treatment
that combines medication with intensive behavioral therapy. The
combination of medication and behavioral therapy was necessary to
produce improvements in some outcomes such as academic performance and
family relations.
Another study has shown that boys with ADHD who are treated with
stimulants are significantly less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol
when they get older. In previous studies, these same researchers found
that nearly twice as many adults with ADHD (that was generally not
diagnosed or treated until much later in life) also abused drugs
and/or alcohol at some point in their lives, compared to adults
without ADHD. More studies are needed to examine the long-term use of
stimulant medications in children and adolescents.
Problems Faced by
Families with ADHD Children
ADHD can be reliably diagnosed
when appropriate guidelines are used. Ideally, a health care
practitioner making a diagnosis should include input from parents and
teachers. But some health practitioners make a diagnosis without all
this information and tend to either overdiagnose the disorder or
underdiagnose it. Despite data showing that stimulant medication is
safe, there are widespread misunderstandings about the safety and use
of these drugs, and some health care practitioners are reluctant to
prescribe them. Like all drugs, the medications used to treat ADHD
do have side effects and need to be closely monitored.
Parents need to carefully evaluate treatment choices when their child
receives a diagnosis of ADHD. When they pursue treatment for their
children, families face high out-of-pocket expenses because treatment
of ADHD and other mental illnesses is often not covered by insurance
policies. In schools, treatment plans are often poorly integrated. In
addition, there are few special education funds directed specifically
for ADHD. All this leads to children who do not receive proper
and adequate treatment. To overcome these barriers, parents may want
to look for school-based programs that have a team approach involving
parents, teachers, school psychologists, other mental health
specialists, and physicians.
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