A new study based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concludes that, contrary to popular public opinion, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is under-treated and not over-treated in children and teenagers. The number of cases being treated is lower than the number of cases diagnosed.
The conclusions, resulting from the CDC’s years-long National Survey of Children’s Health, are reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
The survey put parents’ responses about children who have been diagnosed with ADHD into three groups: ever diagnosed, currently diagnosed, and currently taking medication for ADHD. The survey found that 11% of children four to 17 years old have been diagnosed with ADHD, 8.8% are currently diagnosed with the disorder, and 6.1% are taking medication for it.
Comparing this to other studies, the CDC found the results consistent: an estimated 9% to 11% of children have ADHD.
While the authors acknowledge that the 42% increase in treatment from 2003 to 2011 appears alarming, the current treatment rate is about 70% (6.1% of children receiving treatment divided by 8.8% of those diagnosed).
In an editorial that appears in the issue presenting the study’s conclusions, other experts express several concerns about critiquing the results of an active public health approach to improving the recognition and treatment of ADHD, including a perception on patients’ part of being stigmatized for being treated for ADHD. They conclude, “It is important to not over-react simply to the notion of increasing rates of diagnosis and treatment without considering the whole picture. It is absolutely critical to benchmark current diagnosis and treatment rates against prevalence estimates to best serve the public health.”
