Myth 1: ADHD Isn’t Really a Disorder
Cases of ADHD have been documented as far back as Adam Weikard’s German textbook from 1775. Since then, ADHD has been the subject of more than 10,000 clinical and academic publications (Barkley 2015). Numerous differences between people with and without ADHD have been found in research studies (Roberts et al. 2015). Major life activities such as social, emotional, academic, and occupational functioning are all hampered by ADHD. The majority of children with ADHD continue to struggle with symptoms as adults, making it a disorder that affects people of all ages. According to Barkley (2015), there is a 57% heritability chance for ADHD in a child whose parent has the disorder and a 70%–80% chance for twins whose sibling also has the disorder. According to brain scan studies, people with ADHD have different brain development. For example, their frontal cortex is thinner, their inferior frontal gyrus has less volume, and their parietal, temporal, and occipital cortices have less grey matter (Matthews et al. 2014).
Myth #2: ADHD is a childhood disorder
ADHD is a lifetime disorder, according to extensive research on kids who have been diagnosed with it. Recent follow-up studies on children with ADHD reveal that in 50%–80% of cases, the disorder continues into adolescence, and in 35%–65% of cases, it continues into adulthood (Owens et al. 2015). According to a 16-year follow-up study of boys with ADHD, 77% of them still had full or subthreshold DSM-IV ADHD (Biederman et al. 2012). Girls with childhood ADHD were found to still have higher rates of ADHD and coexisting conditions, such as higher rates of suicide attempts and self-injury, 10 years later compared to girls without ADHD in a study of girls aged 6 to 12 years (Hinshaw et al. 2012).
Myth #3: There is an overdiagnosis of ADHD
According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, 2003–2011, there has been a 5% annual increase in the number of children with ADHD who have been diagnosed. Many have begun to question whether the condition is being overdiagnosed as a result of this. However, according to the study based on the 2014 National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette Syndrome, paediatric patients are receiving meticulous diagnoses from medical professionals. Of the 2,976 kids who were given an ADHD diagnosis, 9 out of 10 were made by professionals following best practise guidelines (Visser et al. 2015). Increased screenings by paediatricians and other primary care providers, a reduction in the stigma associated with ADHD, the availability of better treatment options, and an increase in cases with suspected environmental causes, such as prenatal exposure to toxins or high blood lead levels, are some explanations for the increased diagnostic rates.
Myth #4: Kids with ADHD take too many medications
The majority of research studies’ findings point to either an appropriate level of medication treatment for ADHD or an undertreatment of the condition (Connor 2015). The National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) 2003–2011 found that 69% (or 3.5 million) of the 5.1 million kids with a current diagnosis of ADHD were taking medication to treat it. Only 20.4% of adolescents with ADHD received stimulants, according to data from the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement, which included over 10,000 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 (Merikangas et al. 2013). Among the 3,042 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the prevalence of ADHD was 7.8%, but only 48% of them received treatment in the previous 12 months (Merikangas et al. 2010).
Myth #5: ADHD Is Caused by Poor Parenting
In contrast to social factors, such as poor parenting, research studies indicate that the main causes of ADHD are genetic (hereditary) and neurological factors (such as pregnancy and birth complications, brain damage, toxins, and infections). According to twin studies of ADHD children, the children’s family environments have a very small impact on the individual differences in their ADHD symptoms (Barkley, 2015). Despite the fact that parenting styles do not directly cause ADHD, they can worsen coexisting conditions like oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD), and inconsistent parental discipline as well as a lack of father involvement have been linked to ADHD symptoms (Ellis et al. 2009).
6th Myth: Minorities Overdiagnosis and overmedication of ADHD in children
According to parent reports, children who are non-Hispanic white and who are not members of a minority group had the highest rates of diagnosis, according to data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2011–2013. According to Pastor et al. (2015), the prevalence rates for non-Hispanic white children are 11.5%, 8.9% for non-Hispanic black children, and 6.3% for Hispanic children. Minority children were less likely than white children to receive an ADHD diagnosis, according to research from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 (n=17,100) (Morgan et al. 2013). The same study discovered that children of Hispanic, African American, or other races/ethnicities were significantly less likely to use prescription medication to treat their ADHD.
Myth #7: Girls Have Less Severe ADHD and a Lower Rate of It Than Boys
Only in the last few decades has ADHD in girls and women been recognised, and more research studies are highlighting the significant impairments they frequently experience, often to the same degree as boys. Oppositional defiance disorder, conduct disorder, academic and social impairments, driving issues, substance abuse, and risky sexual behaviour are among the coexisting conditions and impairments that they are susceptible to, just like males. Although teenage girls with ADHD may be more likely than boys to develop eating disorders, this difference diminishes by the time they reach young adulthood (Owens et al. 2015). Hinshaw et al. (2012) discovered a higher risk of suicide attempts and self-injury by adulthood among the girls in a 10-year follow-up study of girls aged 6 to 12 years. In the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2011-2013, parents of children ages 4 to 17 reported the most recent diagnosis data, which showed a diagnostic rate of 13.3% for boys and 5.6% for girls. Similar gender ratios of 2.3:1.0 have been discovered in other large community samples, but research has shown that by adulthood, prevalence is nearly equal for both sexes (Owens et al. 2015).
References
Barkley, Russell A. (2015). History of ADHD. In R. A. Barkley (Ed.), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, 4th ed. (pp. 356–390). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Barkley, Russell A. (2015). Etiologies of ADHD. In R. A. Barkley (Ed.), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, 4th ed. (pp. 356–390). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Biederman, Joseph et al. (2012). Adult Outcome of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Controlled 16-Year Follow-Up Study. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 73(7):941–950.
Ellis, Brandi & Joel Nigg (February 2009). Parenting Practices and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: New Findings Suggest Partial Specificity of Effects. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 48(2):146–154.
Hinshaw, Stephen P. et al. (2012). Prospective Follow-Up of Girls With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Into Early Adulthood: Continuing Impairment Includes Elevated Risk for Suicide Attempts and Self-Injury. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 80(6):1041–1051.
Matthews, Marguerite et al. (2013). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 16:235–266.
Merikangas, Kathleen et al. (2013). Medication Use in US Youth With Mental Disorders. JAMA Pediatrics167(2):141–148.
Morgan, Paul L. et al. (2013). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in ADHD Diagnosis From Kindergarten to Eighth Grade. Pediatrics 132(1):85–93.
Owens, Elizabeth et al. (2015). Developmental Progression and Gender Differences among Individuals with ADHD. In R. A. Barkley (Ed.), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, 4th ed. (pp. 223–255). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Pastor, Patricia N. et al. (2015). Association between diagnosed ADHD and selected characteristics among children aged 4–17 years: United States, 2011–2013. NCHS Data Brief, no 201. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
Roberts, Walter et al. (2015). Primary Symptoms, Diagnostic Criteria, Subtyping, and Prevalence of ADHD. In R. A. Barkley (Ed.), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, 4th ed. (pp. 51–80). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Russell, Abigail E. et al. (2015). Socioeconomic Associations with ADHD: Findings from a Mediation Analysis. PLoS One 10(6):e0128248.
Visser, Susanna N. et al. (September 3, 2015). Diagnostic experiences of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. National Health Statistics Reports; no 81. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.