| In this article about interesting ADHD statistics we have | | | | disorder increased almost 4 percent every year from |
| gathered a number of facts that you should find | | | | 2000 to 2010 making it the number one mental health |
| interesting. But before we get started on ADHD | | | | concern in children. |
| statistics let's take a minute or two to delve into | | | | * Boys are twice as likely to be diagnosed as girls. This |
| exactly what ADHD represents. | | | | is down dramatically from the 10 to 1 ratio in 1997. |
| ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity | | | | * In America, the state with highest number of cases |
| disorder and is simply the newer, more modern, name | | | | reported was Alabama with the highest number of |
| for ADD. Most brain research suggests that this | | | | prescriptions being written in Arkansas. |
| condition is an imbalance in the two or more brain | | | | * Slightly less than 5.5 million children ranging in age |
| chemical messengers, with the two most often | | | | from 5 to 17 were diagnosed with ADHD in 2009. |
| mentioned being dopamine and norepinephrine. The | | | | * Currently 60 percent of all children with ADHD are |
| primary symptoms this imbalance produces are | | | | receiving medication for treating the disorder, with |
| inattention/distractibility, impulsive behavior, and | | | | Ritalin continuing to be the most widely prescribed. |
| hyperactivity or restlessness which began before the | | | | * The most highly medicated age demographic for |
| age of 7, but over half of the time will continue into | | | | ADHD children are those from 9 to 12 years of age. |
| adulthood. | | | | ADHD statistics are fun to read but if you are an adult |
| Interesting ADHD statistics | | | | or child struggling with ADHD finding an effective |
| * 20 percent of ADHD children have learning disabilities | | | | treatment is an important first step in overcoming this |
| and about 80 percent have academic problems. | | | | challenging condition. The most common form of |
| * Using a conservative frequency rate of 5 percent | | | | treatment are prescription stimulants such as Ritalin, |
| the annual societal cost of illness for ADHD is | | | | Adderall and Vyvanse. While effective, all stimulant |
| considered to be between $13,000 and 18,000 per | | | | medications come with a number of serious label |
| individual. | | | | warnings. The risk of side effects, or perhaps lack of |
| * Across ten countries, it has been estimated that this | | | | success with stimulants, has prompted many to |
| condition was associated with 143.8 billion in lost | | | | investigate other options. A couple examples of this |
| revenue every day. Most of this loss was linked | | | | are behavior modification therapy and/or natural |
| directly to ADHD and not co-occurring conditions such | | | | remedies. Natural remedies for ADHD are a side |
| as depression or bi-polar disorder. | | | | effect free way to address such problematic |
| * Those with ADHD were more likely to have | | | | symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic |
| attendance problems at work or at school than their | | | | behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a |
| peers. | | | | standalone treatment or as a compliment to other |
| * Diagnosed cases of attention deficit hyperactivity | | | | nonprescription alternatives. |