Researchers estimate about 9% of U.S. children age 8 to 15 meet criteria for having ADHD

Published: September 4, 2007

CHICAGO—An estimated 8.7 percent of U.S. children age 8 to 15 meet diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but fewer than half receive treatment, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

“Despite widespread concern that the rate of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is on the rise, the national population-based prevalence of ADHD in U.S. children has not been firmly established,” the authors write as background information in the article. ADHD is characterized by hyperactivity, impulsive behavior and an inability to pay attention to tasks; the condition affects social behaviors and achievement at school and work. [continue reading…]

Nonmedicinal treatment touted for preschoolers with ADHD

Published: August 23, 2007

5 Year Study most ambitious of its kind, identifies effective strategies for decreasing aggressiveness and improving behaviour

Non-medicinal interventions are highly effective in preventing the behavioral and academic problems associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to a five-year study led by researchers at Lehigh University’s College of Education.

The study, titled “Project Achieve” and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), was the largest of its kind focusing on children aged 3 to 5 who have shown significant symptoms of ADHD. It also involved researchers from Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pa. [continue reading…]