ADHD Data and Statistics

bwarren — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 08:20:12 +0000

There are various sources for statistical information on ADHD. They include national surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), such as the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Other governmental and non-governmental organizations such as the World Health Organization also provide reliable statistics. Prevalence studies conducted by researchers generate much useful data, as do the healthcare industry’s analysis of prescription drug costs and use. Statistics from several sources are presented here under these categories:

General Prevalence of ADHD
ADHD and Co-occurring (Coexisting) Conditions
ADHD and Long-Term Outcomes
ADHD Treatment Data
Other ADHD related Data including adoption, driving, diversion, hereditary risk, prison populations and suicide risk

When analyzing the results of prevalence studies, you may want to take into consideration the sample size; the population being surveyed—whether they are clinicians, parents, teachers, children, adults or a combination of these groups; the questions being asked; and the conclusions of the study.

Myth # 1: ADHD is Not a Real Disorder

User 7 — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:18:09 +0000

ADHD cases have been described as far back as the textbook published in 1775 by Adam Weikard in German. Since that time, over 10,000 clinical and scientific publications have been published on ADHD (Barkley 2015). Research studies show numerous differences between those with and without ADHD (Roberts et al. 2015). ADHD impairs major life activities including social, emotional, academic and work functioning. It is a lifespan disorder with the majority of children with ADHD continuing to struggle with symptoms as adults. ADHD also runs in families with a heritability chance of 57% for a child if a parent has ADHD, and a 70%–80% chance for a twin if the other twin has ADHD (Barkley 2015). Brain scan studies show differences in the development of the brain of individuals with ADHD, such as cortical thinning in the frontal regions; reduced volume in the inferior frontal gyrus; and reduced gray matter in the parietal, temporal, and occipital cortices (Matthews et al. 2014).

Myth # 2: ADHD is a Disorder of Childhood

User 7 — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:17:31 +0000

Long-term studies of children diagnosed with ADHD show that ADHD is a lifespan disorder. Recent follow-up studies of children with ADHD show that ADHD persists from childhood to adolescence in 50%–80% of cases, and into adulthood in 35%–65% of cases (Owens et al. 2015). A 16-year follow-study of boys diagnosed with ADHD found that 77% continued to have full or subthreshold DSM-IV ADHD (Biederman et al. 2012). A study of girls ages 6–12 years with childhood ADHD found that 10 years later, they continued to have higher rates of ADHD and coexisting conditions, including higher rates of suicide attempts and self-injury, compared to girls without ADHD (Hinshaw et al. 2012).

Myth # 3: ADHD is Over-Diagnosed

User 7 — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:16:33 +0000

The rate of diagnosed ADHD in children has increased approximately 5% every year, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health, 2003—2011. This has led many to wonder if the condition is being over-diagnosed. But the report based on the 2014 National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette Syndrome found that children are being carefully diagnosed by healthcare practitioners. The vast majority (9 out of 10) of the 2,976 children diagnosed with ADHD had been diagnosed by practitioners using best practice guidelines (Visser et al. 2015). Possible explanations for increased diagnostic rates include improved awareness about ADHD among healthcare practitioners and parents, more screenings by pediatricians and other primary care givers, decreased stigma about ADHD, availability of better treatment options, and more cases arising from suspected environmental causes such prenatal exposure to toxins or high blood lead levels.

Myth # 4: Children with ADHD are Over-medicated

User 7 — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 12:14:45 +0000

Most evidence from research studies suggest that levels of treating ADHD with medication are either appropriate or that ADHD is undertreated (Connor 2015). According to the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) 2003–2011, of the 5.1 million children with a current diagnosis of ADHD, 69% (or 3.5 million) were taking medication for ADHD. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement, which included over 10,000 adolescents aged 13–18, found that only 20.4% of those with ADHD received stimulants (Merikangas et al. 2013). Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey report a 7.8% prevalence rate of ADHD among the 3,042 participants aged 8–15, but only about 48% of them were receiving treatment in the past 12 months (Merikangas et al. 2010).