Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly found disorder in children in the United States. Statistics show that the male to female ratio for children with ADHD is eight to one. 4.4 million Children between the ages four to seventeen have diagnosed with ADHD (Cheng Tina L et al.). African American children are at a higher risk for having ADHD. Caucasian children are least likely to have ADHD. 2.5 million children receive medication for ADHD, but African American children are half as likely as Caucasian children to take ADHD medication(Cheng Tina L et al.). If African American children do not take medication for ADHD the child will most likely do drugs, drop out of school, or find it harder to receive a job when they get older. There is not cure for children who have ADHD, but there is medication children can take to decrease their hyperactive and impulsive symptoms. Adderall, Methylin, Concerta, and Focalin are some of the medications given for children who have ADHD. Methylphenidate is the most common medication prescribed by physicians for ADHD. “Methylphenidate takes effects within fifteen minutes of taking it and lasts between four and twelve hours a day.” (Hughes, Katsiyannis, and Ryan). Although medication is out there for the children to take, some of the medication given haves negative side effects. ADHD is not preventable. Parents should not only avoid drinking, smoking, or doing any other type of drugs to prevent ADHD, but also to prevent

It is determined ADHD, is caused by an imbalance of chemicals affecting certain parts of the human brain that work with attention, impulses and concentration Mall & Holland, (2013). Some of the symptoms include daydreaming, forgetting or losing items, and having difficulty resisting temptation. Some of the medication that is provided to patients with ADHD is Ritalin and Concerta. There are some concerns that ADHD medication may led to substance abuse Brown University, (2013). According to Brown University, (2013), the increase in the diagnosis of ADHD may have resulted from over – diagnoses of ADHD or inaccurate information reported from the parents that were surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). This report has raised questions about the increase in ADHD

Over the past couple of decades there has been a huge increase in the diagnosis and prescriptions given out for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. According to a news report done by USA Today over the past five years use of ADHD medications have risen 40% totaling 39.5 million individual prescriptions ("New findings," 2009). When statistics like this are seen it is only normal for someone to ask questions. People are becoming curious about the legitimacy of the disorder, and whether or not the treatments being given to individuals are appropriate. The argument seems to be strong on both sides of the fence, but the extensive research done on ADHD leaves it hard for one to believe that it is a made up disorder.

Properly diagnosing ADHD, medication choices, and behavioral interventions are the key focal point. Is medication truly worth the side effects?

Being able to find answers, and enlightening material without searching through a plethora of biased data can relieve concerns as well as offer hope. The Mayo Clinic’s website is inviting to those who come looking to research ADHD. The website’s format is open and easily understandable. The sub-categories are listed on the left side of the webpage. They include the most common topics including symptoms, treatments, complications, and most important a comprehensible definition. There is an abundance of statistical information on alternative medication that is not usually found when researching Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. “But ADHD medication is seldom all that's needed to control oppositional behavior”(Flippin, 2015). The website also has a limited amount purchasable advertisements. The information listed fit into each subcategory

According to a study by The Pew, more than 2.7 million children have an incarcerated parent. The following consequences are often underestimated and undetectable. Incarcerated parents are extremely detrimental to the well-being of the children involved. Minors involved with the arrest of their parents often suffer more complications than someone without an incarcerated parent. Foremost, these minors are more likely to have attention problems like Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Additionally, they could have behavioral hardships such as anxiety, depression, or eating disorders. Lastly, they could have complications in the development of relationships because of emotional problems. This

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD which is often referred to as childhood hyperactivity, it 's a severe and chronic disorder for children. It is one of the most prevalent childhood disorders, and affects 3% to 5% of the school-age population. Boys outnumber girls three or more to one. Children with ADHD can experience many behavioral difficulties that often manifest in the form of inattention, being easily distracted, being impulsive, and hyperactivity. As a result, children with ADHD may develop emotional, social, developmental, academic, and family problems because of the frustrations and problems they are constantly experiencing. (Shea)

In the psychiatric medical field, there is a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM) that provides very specific guidelines on how to recognize, diagnose, and treat mental disorders. ADHD was first introduced to the DSM in 1980 when the DSM-II was published. Since then, three more DSM’s were published, making DSM-V the most up-to-date published manual. In the DSM-V, it describes “people with ADHD [must] show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development” and a detailed list of criteria for either inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity follows (“Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)”). Also, everyone potential patient must present four specific conditions: they had to present the inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms prior to age twelve, the symptoms must be present in at least two different settings, the symptoms must impair the individual or evidently interfere with life, and the symptoms must not better fit any other mental disorder (“Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)”). Also, only professionals trained to diagnose ADHD are able to diagnose patients, therefore, eliminating any diagnostic errors attributed to a lack of

Understanding the impact of race and gender on the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) begins with knowledge of the disorder and its symptoms. A description of ADHD is given in an article titled Overview of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Young Children, where it is defined as a complex disorder that can develop in preschool years and continue throughout adulthood (Singh, Yeh, Verma, & Das, 2015, pp. 23-35). However, Singh et al. (2015) discuss how the specifics of what constitutes ADHD has changed each time the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual has been revised, but as of the Fifth Edition, a person has to meet six out of nine symptoms of inattention to be officially diagnosed with ADHD. Although there

Historically, there are records of disorders that are similar to ADHD as early as the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was known by a variety of names during the 20th century including: Encephalitis Lethargica, Minimal Brain Damage, Minimal Cerebral Palsy, Mild Retardation, Minimal Brain Dysfunction, Hyper-kinesis, Atypical Ego Development, and Attention Deficit Disorder, otherwise known as ADD (Rafalovich). The most commonly talked about starting point of the history of ADHD starts with lectures called the Goulstonian lectures, given by George Frederic Still in 1902. He observed children who were experiencing severe problems with sustained attention and self-regulation, who were often aggressive, defiant, and resistant to discipline, excessively emotional or passionate, who showed little inhibitory volition, and could not learn from the consequences of their actions

The purpose of this paper is to discuss one of the most common childhood disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in early child development. Topics to be explored are the epidemiology, pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, lab diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD. Lastly we will discuss nursing interventions as they relate to parents and children with ADHD and review two nursing journal articles related to ADHD treatment.

“Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder diagnosed in U.S. children…In 2011-2013, 9.5% of children ages 4-17 were diagnosed with ADHD” (as cited in Pastor, Reuben, Duran, & Hawkins, 2015). Because this condition is so prevalent in today’s society, there is much debate about the authenticity of the disorder and the effectiveness of treatment options. Although many believe that medications should be the first method of treatment, I believe there are other options available that are less damaging. Parents and doctors should be cautious when deciding to give children diagnosed with ADHD medications since the syndrome is difficult to diagnose, the medications can have many side effects, and there are other treatment options that work just as well if not better than the pills.

One possible public health concern is safety of pharmacological interventions, or the effectiveness of current interventions to help reduce the impairment that’s associated with ADHD. It would be necessary to cooperate with other different organizations to help educate and promote what is known about ADHD appropriate standards of practice, interventions, their effectiveness, and their safety (J,

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, better known by its acronym as ADHD, is one of the “hot topics” constantly being discussed in today’s psychological field. Interestingly, the debate is on whether or not ADHD is a real mental disorder. The community is divided into two distinct groups. One group believes that ADHD is a real mental disorder and should be treated as such. Others, however, believe that ADHD isn’t a disorder at all, rather it is a ploy driven by the pharmaceutical companies in order to increase sales of stimulants such as Ritalin. Within this group there are also people who believe that ADHD itself is not a disorder, however, it is part of a larger malady, or a result of poor parenting or a sugar-rich diet.

According to Foley (2010), children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were categorized into two groups with nine behaviors associated with each category of ADHD. Behaviors with the inattentive category include failing to pay attention, and making careless mistakes, difficulty keeping that attention, not following through or listening, difficulty organizing, low task persistence, easily distracted, forgetful and losing things. Behaviors associated with the category of hyperactivity include a child being out of their seat and fidgeting, running and climbing excessively,