Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder prevalence

Sung V, Hiscock H, Sciberras E, Effron D. Sleep problems in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder prevalence and the effect on the child and the family. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008 162 336-42. 

The developmental neurotoxicity guideline, accepted by OECD in 2007, has added the important aspect of behavioral effects of pre- and postnatal exposure to chemicals. This development arose from the notion that behavioral disorders in man such as anxiety, depression, phobias, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which appear to show increasing prevalences in western societies, may have a perinatal origin (4, 5). In the absence of causal inferences with respect to chemicals it seems nevertheless prudent to assess in a risk assessment whether such causal relations may exist. 

The main indication for antidepressants is depressive disorders, which have received increased attention owing to the growing recognition of their high prevalence. Other antidepressant uses include treatment of anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, nocturnal enuresis or psychosomatic disorders... 

Visser, S., Lesesne, C. (2005). Mental health in the United States Prevalence of diagnosis and medication treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—United States, 2003. MMWR Weekly, 54, 842-847. 

One exception to the broad recommendation for a child psychiatry referral is that of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is relatively common, with prevalence estimated at 3-7% of school-age children (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The therapist can assist in making an accurate diagnosis when ADHD is considered, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, the therapist can provide essen-... 

Pineta D, Ardila A, Rosselli M, et al. Prevalence of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder symptoms in 4- to 17-year-old children in the general population [Colombia], J Abnorm Child Psychol 1999 27 (6) 455 62. 

Rowland AS, Umbacj DM, Stallone L, et al. Prevalence of medication treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among elementary school children in Johnston County, North Carolina. Am J Public Health 2002 92 (2) 231 4. 

Froelich TE, Lanphear BP, Epstein JN, et al. Prevalence, recognition, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a national sample of U.S. children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med2007 161 (9) 857 64. 

A word about prevalence mental illness is more common than many people imagine. The current prevalence estimates are that about half the U.S. population meets the criteria for at least one mental disorder during a lifetime, with about 25 percent of the population meeting the criteria for at least one mental disorder during any given year.1 Of these disorders, the most prevalent are apparently anxiety disorders, followed by mood disorders (for example, major depressive disorder), impulse-control disorders (for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]), and substance disorders (for example, alcohol abuse). In contrast, the prevalence of psychosis as I define it here is only 2—3 percent of the U.S. population, and the world prevalence is about the same. 

Skounti, M., Philalithis, A., Galanakis E. (2007). Variations in prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder worldwide. Eur. J. Pediatr. 166 117—123. 

There is particular frustration for teachers regarding the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which has increasingly been applied to youngsters with behavioural problems, with estimates of prevalence ranging from one to six percent of children (Lloyd, 2003). Teachers have expressed doubts about the extent to which they feel they can contain these medicated and often violent youngsters within ordinary classrooms. Some suspicion has been cast upon the... 

Low levels of DHA in the blood have been linked to dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, and hyperactivity. They have also been linked to dementia, including Alzheimer s, in the elderly. Scientists have found that these conditions are much less prevalent in cul-... 

These criteria result in a much lower prevalence of hyperkinetic disorder, with estimates in the range of 1-5%, as compared to 5-10% in school-aged children for ADHD. In the ICD-10 there is a lower possibility of diagnosing children with attention deficit without hyperactivity. In the ICD-10 another diagnosis of other specified behavioral and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence must be used. However, the combined condition of hyperkinetic disorder and conduct disorder is delineated under the diagnosis hyperkinetic conduct disorder. ... 

Analysis of structured psychiatric interviews makes it possible to identify different subtypes of the disorder, depending on the prevalence (and persistence for at least 6 months) of different symptoms (9 for the attention deficit variant and 9 for the hyperactive variant) (i) ADHD, combined type subtype (6/9 or more inattention symptoms and 6/9 or more hyperactivity/impulsiv-ity symptoms) (ii) ADHD, predominantly inattentive type subtype (6/9 or more inattention symptoms, but fewer than 6/9 hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms) (iii) ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type sub-type (6/9 or more hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms, but fewer than 6/9 inattention symptoms). The minimum score for a child to be considered to be affected with ADHD is therefore 6/9 for both ADHD, predominantly inattentive type and ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type subtypes, and at least 12/18 for the ADHD, combined type subtype. 

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