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.