Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, generally called ADHD, is a chronic condition in children and adolescents that extends into adulthood in up to approximately two-thirds of cases.
According to a new report from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 1 in every 9 children in that country, between 3 and 17 years old, has been diagnosed with ADHD. This is what qualifies the disorder as a “expanding public health concern.”
The study, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologywas based on data from the National Children’s Health Surveywhich collects detailed information from parents.
In dialogue with Infobae the pediatrician Fernando Burgos (MN 81,759), member of the Media and Communication Subcommittee of the Argentine Society of Pediatrics (SAP) and of the Scientific Department of the Vacunar Foundation, defined in a recent note that “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a chronic condition that It is included within what is called the neurodiversity”.
“That is, children and adults often have this disorder that is basically based on a behavioral disorder”, he pointed out.
This includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty maintaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Children with ADHD may also have low self-esteem, difficulty relating or lower school performance.
Researchers found that in 2022, 7.1 million children and adolescents in the United States had received a diagnosis of ADHD, i.e. one million more children than in 2016. That jump in diagnoses was not surprising, given that the data was collected during the pandemic, she told NPR Melissa Danielsonof the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and lead author of the study.
Florence Alfie (MN 47873), a graduate in Psychology from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), pointed out Infobae that “when we talk about ADHD we say that a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects attention, the ability to sit still—they are very active people—and self-control—they act without thinking about the consequences of their actions, that is, they have impulsive behaviors—” .
And I add: “It is normal for a young child to be distracted, impulsive, restless or impatient.. We know that attention, activity and self-control are being acquired gradually as they grow and with the help of parents and the school. When it is not achieved wait, listen or pay attention, we may be talking about ADHD.”
According to Brazilian Attention Deficit Association, “Impulsivity is a common symptom of ADHD. Those who suffer from it often have difficulty organizing and planning what they should do. Their academic performance seems lower than expected for their intellectual capacity, although it is common for school problems to be more linked to behavior than to performance. Girls have fewer symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity, but are equally distractible”.
María Teresa Monjarás Rodríguezan academic at the Faculty of Psychology (FP) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) indicated that ADHD has three unequivocal symptoms: lack of attention outside the typical range; impulsivity and hyperactivity.
“For him diagnosisdifferent specialists in the psychological and medical field have to be involved, it must be attended to at this stage to prevent it from evolving into learning problems, and perhaps low self-esteem,” added the same expert.
Attorney Alfie expressed that “many children have a father, mother or relative with the same diagnosis. It is also believed that those who were born prematurely, or whose mothers used drugs or were exposed to toxic substances during pregnancy, may be more prone to have it.”
Dr. Burgos added that, in children, this type of disorder is characterized by “the hyperactivitynot being able to sit still, impulsivenesshaving oppositional behaviors, low self-esteem, often poor school performance”.
And he expanded: “Even in adolescence, having problematic consumptionbad interpersonal relationship, many times lack of socialization, anger and anger for reasons that the environment does not understand are some characteristics of this disorder. Inattention can also occur without hyperactivity”.
According to a study published in the journal BMJ Mental Health, ADHD is the result of a “complex interaction” between genetic, neurobiological, physiological and/or epigenetic risk factors. It can predispose to several common and, in some cases, serious mental health problems.
What is the reason for the increase in diagnoses? Experts argue that there is greater awareness about ADHD and the different ways it can manifest in children. Danielson said that may help explain why girls are diagnosed with ADHD more often than boys than in the past. The expert said children have long been diagnosed with ADHD at a rate approximately two and a half times older than girlsbut new reports find the gap is narrowing.
Decades ago, ADHD was thought to be a hyperactivity disorder among children, Danielson says. “Children often have hyperactive or impulsive ADHDso they run into the street, jump, or do things that could increase their chances of getting injured,” he explains.
“Girls tend to express their ADHD in a more distracted way. They will daydream, they will have lack of concentration or they will be very focused on a particular task that may not be the task they need to focus on,” he adds.
Some warning signs are:
- Difficulty paying attention or being easily distracted
- Lack of attention to details, errors in tasks due to carelessness and sloppiness
- Difficulty listening
- Poor ability to wait your turn and impatience
- Restlessness: not being able to sit still, running or climbing excessively
- Talking excessively
- Frequent interruptions in others’ conversations
While the CDC report found that the number of children diagnosed with ADHD had increased since 2016, only about half of them were taking medicines to treat it, compared to two-thirds of children in 2016.
The psychiatrist specializing in children and adolescents and director of the Children and Youth Department of Ineco Andrea Abadi (MN 76.165) pointed to Infobae in a previous note that, “although the treatments proved to be extremely effective in the child and adolescent population, the problem arises when there are still academic, social or behavioral difficulties, due to lack of knowledge or ideology. the individual does not receive the appropriate diagnosis or treatment.”
The doctor Max Wiznitzerprofessor of pediatric neurology at the Case Western Reserve University, manifested to NPR who suspects that some parents may be reluctant to prescribe their children ADHD medications because of misguided beliefs. “There is a myth that he is addictive, but he is not.” She said studies have shown that Treated people with ADHD do not have an increased risk of drug abuse.
Wiznitzer said medications are important because they can help children concentrate by controlling their symptoms of impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention.
The report also found that almost 78% of children diagnosed with ADHD had at least one other diagnosed disorder. The most common were behavioral or behavioral problems, anxiety, and developmental delays. Autism and depression were also frequently observed, Danielson said.
This includes a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and a shorter life expectancy, Wiznitzer said, so more awareness and diagnosis.
In this instance, according to Abadi, “if the patient is diagnosed and treated appropriately, based on their needs, they can be controlled.” the consequences that ADHD can have in your daily life.”
According to Alfie, early diagnosis and treatment of ADHD are important to: “Improve quality of life (reduce negative effects on academic performance, interpersonal relationships and self-esteem), prevent complications and provide the necessary support so that affected people “they can reach their maximum potential (involving the family and school in comprehensive treatment).”
ADHD must be treated multiple times, combining medication, psychotherapy and speech therapy (when there are also speech and/or writing disorders). Guidance to parents and teachers and the teaching of specific techniques make up the treatment, explains the Brazilian Attention Deficit Society.
“Once the diagnosis is made, it begins with a supportive therapywhich includes a interdisciplinary work between the school, the family and specialist psychologists, psychopedagogues, often neurologists, psychiatrists and pediatricians,” said Burgos, who stressed that “the treatment is basically behavioral and, in some cases of hyperactivity or complicated attention deficit, some “medications to improve the child’s attention and thus improve their learning.”
In coincidence, Alfie said that treatment usually includes a multidisciplinary approach: “Psychotherapy (to teach problem solving, impulse control, organization, time management, and improving self-esteem); medications (to improve attention, concentration and impulse control) and modification of the school/work environment (adapting, putting in place clear structures, scheduled rest times, and additional support if necessary).”
Along the same lines, the Ineco specialist stated: “There are different ways to treat this disorder, Not every child with ADHD should be medicated. In some cases, patients can manage their symptoms with therapies that help improve different areas in which they require it, such as planning, problem solving, decision making, emotional regulation, among others. The cognitive behavioral therapy It is, for example, of great help in dealing with cases of this type. On the other hand, on other occasions, medication is necessary, but this will depend on the case of each patient,” the expert concluded.
