Month: April 2018

I recently presented on ADHD across the age spectrum at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Here are some neat facts and figures from the presentation I hope you find helpful

1. ADHD is the actual diagnosis-there is no such diagnosis as “ADD”1.
   1. Diagnostic criteria
      1. A child or adolescent needs to meet six out of nine possible inattentive symptoms and/or six out of nine possible hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms.
      2. ADHD has three iterations: (1) predominantly inattentive, (2) predominantly hyperactive/impulsive, and (3) combined, based on how many symptoms in each diagnostic category an individual meets.
         1. 6 or more symptoms of inattention:
            1. Poor attention to detail poor sustained attention
            2. Poor task completion poor organization
            3. Procrastination distractibility
            4. Forgetfulness
      3. 6 or more symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity:
         • Behaving as “driven by a motor”
         • Excessive talking interrupting
         • Difficulty waiting one’s turn
         • Fidgeting leaving one’s seat

1. 3-5% of child and adolescent populations have ADHD, some studies reporting as high as 11% (Michielsen et al., 2013).
2. 10% of preschool children (ages 2-5) will have pre-pathological ADHD behaviors that begin to emerge.
3. Highest rate of comorbidity is with externalizing disorders  (conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder) and secondarily, Depression and generalized anxiety were among the most comorbid internalizing disorders.
4. 20-30% of children (<18 years of age) will have a diagnosable, comorbid anxiety disorder with ADHD.
5. CBT treatment has better effectiveness rates than stimulant medication (longer-lasting).

More on this topic in the next blog!