The Prevalence Of Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay

Is the overdiagnosis of ADHD a product of societal pressure or a looser standard of qualification for medical assistance/diagnosis for ADHD? There is no question on whether or not ADHD is being diagnosed more often. In 2011 there were 6.4 million ADHD diagnoses, and many people are looking for answers of why this is happening. Immediately, most people point to the higher stresses from our advancing society and the pressure from other parents and people to the major increase. Although some believe the stressful environment created by our advancing society is at the core of the increase in ADHD diagnoses, the lack of proper procedure when handing out psychostimulants is the more prevalent issue regarding ADHD overdiagnosis. This can be attributed to the age of the child within their grade, a lack of understanding in adults.

The increase of ADHD diagnosis has raised many questions and concerns among the public and doctors. However, the percentage of ADHD diagnosis has changed over the last several years. The rise of ADHD diagnosis is, in fact, occurring in the United States. According to (Brown University, 2013) the amount of children that received an ADHD diagnosis increased by 22 percent in a four – year period based on data from the CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also stated that the percentage of children with a diagnosis of ADHD continue to increase in the United States. The growth of ADHD diagnosis is detrimental to society because it affects how ADHD is diagnosed, treatment, and the estimated number of patients that received an ADHD diagnosis.

Understandably of course it's a money making machine between the cost of therapy, medications, and depending on the medication weekly to monthly blood draws. There's lots of money to be made off of people diagnosed with ADHD. More than that though, is that it's become sort of a trend. “Few topics have generated as much public concern as the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, outpatient visits for ADHD jumped from 1.6 million to 4.2 million per year from 1990 to 1993” (ADHD—Overcoming the Specter of Overdiagnosis. (2002). ADHD has

The expansion of hyperactive diagnosis is not the result of new scientific discoveries about the biomedical nature of the disorder. It is the result of studies done by numerous teachers, doctors, psychologists, and researchers. While a number of studies indicated that symptoms in children are usually society based, studies show that society affects the ADHD child positively and negatively. In a positive way society wants to help the child; this is a common treatment of any person with a disorder. In a negative way society treats the child as a defect or as bad material because society is scared of something it knows very little about. The lay promotions of ADHD and the predominance of self-diagnosis contradict some of the

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

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) seems to be the affliction of this generation of children. It seems more prevalent every year. However, diagnosis criteria for ADHD is so subjective, what qualifies, who qualifies? There is no specific clinical cause for ADHD but it obviously exists. So many questions remain to be answered about ADHD. Are more children really being diagnosed with ADHD annually and is it really on the rise as it appears? Are too many children being wrongly diagnosed with ADHD as an easy way out because of other behavioral problems? And when ADHD is properly diagnosed are we overmedicating our children to make it easier for parents and teachers to cope? How often are other afflictions

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.

ADHD is indeed a part of the Western Culture. People are familiar with the term, treatment and some behaviors that ‘shows’ its existence; and since it has become part of the culture itself it is considered as something relatively normal -or at least common. Both sides of the debate agree on the fact that the behaviors called ADHD do exist, but is it a biological disease? A conduct disorder? Or are we as humans trying to narrow our behaviors in the way where anyone who is not as ‘efficient’ as us are considered to be ‘sick’?

ADHD is one of the most common mental health problems in America. As many as 11% may have the condition, and there 's a lot of misinformation floating around. Many aspects of ADHD are relatively unknown to the public. With that in mind, here are 20 things you might not have known about this condition.

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)

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 DSM 5 criterion for ADHD is “ a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.” It was at first thought to be a type of mental retardation, until it became clear that those effected by symptoms where not stupid but in fact highly intelligent. However they stubbornly refused to conform to societal rules not due to lack of comprehension but due to what seemed to be a lack of self-control and general disregard for rules. George F. Still did a great amount of work in coming to understand the connection between these behaviors and neurological impulse in the early 19th century. Massive amounts of research was done in an effort for the medical community to explain the bizarre and socially inappropriate behaviors of different individuals.“ the history of compiling these symptoms into a formal diagnose represents an increasing drive to medicalize unconvential childhood behaviors” (Rafalovich) Understanding of ADHD has developed a great deal in the pass 100 years from being thought of as “imbecility”, to “minimal brain damage” to the present diagnosable psychological condition it is today. In fact it was not called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder until 1980, in DSM-III (a diagnostic reference book for physicians). This is shocking considering the number of people that are diagnosed every year with a disorder that is

It’s normal for a child to occasionally forget to do their homework, get fidgety when they lose interest in an activity, or speak out of turn during class time. But inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are all signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neuro-development disorder and can start as early as three years old throughout adulthood. People with ADHD have trouble focusing on tasks and activities, this can have a negative impact on the individual in different ways. It can make the child feel alone, incompetent, and powerless and those that don’t understand this behavior only intensified their struggle. Family and schools have a major impact on the life of a child suffering with ADHD. Parents who

In an age where a college degree is becoming more of a necessity, the high stress levels and competitiveness experienced by students at colleges and universities can become to much to bare. In turn, certain individuals seek the help of study drugs, also known as nootropics, “refer to the out-of-accordance use of prescription stimulants like Ritalin, Vyvanse, and Adderall to increase mental focus when studying. These drugs are commonly prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD) patients. When used without a prescription, however, they can be dangerous. But despite the risks, 1 in 5 college students use study drugs to get a short-term energy boost to plow through the dreaded all-nighters” (“Study Drugs”).

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, normally abbreviated as ADHD, is a disorder in which a person has trouble paying attention and focusing on tasks, tends to act without thinking and has trouble sitting still. This condition may begin in early childhood and continue into adulthood. Without treatment ADHD can cause problems at home, school, work and any social gatherings.