Facts about ADHD
The facts about adhd point to a serious problem in our society. Understanding the statistics on attention deficit disorder will help in addressing these issues in your family and school.
Understanding Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder
Parents and families today are frequently searching for facts about ADHD. This disorder has become one of the buzzwords in the health and family realms over the last decade or so.
Some people feel that the growing number of diagnoses leads to overmedicating while others feel there is simply a serious and growing problem in the world and perhaps in our lifestyles and medication is the best solution.Regardless of how you feel about ADHD and medication for ADHD, it will be useful to understand a few statistics on attention deficit disorder to help provide you with more concrete knowledge and less speculation. If you are considering medication for your child, read our page on the natural treatment of ADHD.
Occurrence of ADHD in Our Society
There are numerous different studies that have looked at how common this disorder is and how many children are suffering from it. Various studies show that between 3% and 7% of school aged children have ADHD.
Meanwhile in another study parents said that 7.8% of children were reported as having been diagnosed. Altogether, in 2006 there were 4.5 million kids between the ages of 5 and 17 that have been diagnosed at some point.
One of the important facts about ADHD is that boys are much more likely than girls to be diagnosed. Once again this is a matter of debate because some people feel that normal behavior is being diagnosed inadvertently by overanxious parents or pushy doctors. Regardless, the statistics show that boys have a 9.5% of being diagnosed with ADHD while girls have a 5.9% chance.
ADHD Medication Rates
Of course one of the statistics on attention deficit disorder that everyone is giving notice to these days is the medication rates. In 2003 there were 2.5 million children receiving some form of medication as treatment for ADD or ADHD.
This represented over half of the reported diagnosed cases at the time, and the number is increasing on a year by year basis. Also of note is that there has been a 3% increase in new ADHD diagnoses each and every year between 1997 and 2006.
Causes of ADHD
Important facts about ADHD also include the likelihood of developing the disorder to begin with. When a first degree relative has the disorder, a child is five times more likely to be diagnosed himself. This is a percentage increase from about 5% to about 25%.
This shows the strong genetic link of the disorder, and indeed it is largely a hereditary disorder rather than an environmentally caused one. However, exposure to alcohol, nicotine and lead as a young child as well as brain trauma also contribute to the growing number of cases. You can learn more on our page about the causes of ADHD.
Many children exhibit ADHD behavior without actually having ADHD. If you are wondering if you should be concerned about your child, read this article on the signs of ADHD.
These are just a few of the important statistics on attention deficit disorder. It should help give you a baseline of understanding for how prevalent the problem is, for current trends and relationships with the disorder and more.
Recommended websites:
ADHD facts - CDC
Your Total Health on ADHD