Prevalence of ADHD Among Children Term Paper

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Mental Health and Society

Mental health is one of the most important aspects of the overall health and wellbeing of children, adolescents, and adults. For children and adolescents, mental health is crucial towards their cognitive and psychological development. However, a significant portion of children and adolescents suffer from mental health disorders that affect their overall health and wellbeing as well as development. According to O’Keeffe, it is estimated that 10% children between 5 and 15 years suffer from a mental health disorder while nearly 50% of all lifetime psychiatric disorders or illnesses start by mid adolescence (p.1). Since most of these mental health disorders can persist into adulthood and in turn cause long-term morbidity, early diagnosis and treatment is considered vital towards enhancing the overall health of children and adolescents. This paper examines the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), its significance to public health, and a data source that can be utilized to monitor it.

Prevalence of ADHD among Children and/or Adolescents

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is regarded as one of the most common neurobehavioral disorder among children and generates severe negative effects on children, adolescents, and even adults. Given its severe negative effects, this mental health condition can generate serious economic burdens on the affected families and the society. This mental health condition is characterized by over-activity, inattentiveness, impulsivity or a combination of all these symptoms (O’Keeffe, p.2). The impairing symptoms from this mental health condition can persist into adolescents and adulthood in 60% of the cases. In the remaining cases, the overt hyperactivity is substituted by inner restlessness, impatience, and emotional deregulation into adulthood. Notably, the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affect a child or adolescent’s academic, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning. ADHD is regarded as a serious mental health condition among children since it affects between 3% and 5% of school age population (O’Keeffe, p.2). However, the reported prevalence of this neurobehavioral disorder among children differs from 2% to 18% based on the utilized diagnostic criteria and the examined population. As of 2017, the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among school-age children is estimated to range from 8% to 11%, which implies that it’s one of the most common mental health disorders among children (Krull, Augustyn & Torchia par, 4). Based on the findings of a meta-analysis of 175 studies from a wide geographic distribution include Europe and Asia, the projected pool prevalence of this condition was 7.2%.

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The 2011 National Survey of Children’s Health demonstrated that the prevalence of a parent-reported diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among U.S. children aged 4 to 17 years was 11%. This represented a significant increase i.e. 42% in comparison to the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health. The survey also indicated that nearly one-third of children were diagnosed with this condition before six years. Boys account for a significant portion of ADHD cases at 15.1% while girls account for 6.7%. Additionally, the prevalence of the condition increases with age i.e. 7.7% among 4 to10 year olds, 14.3% among 11-14 year olds, and 14.0% among 15 to 17 years olds (Krull, Augustyn & Torchia par, 5).

Importance of the Condition and its Prevalence to Public Health

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder among children is a major public health issue given its devastating impact on the overall health and wellbeing of this population. As previously mentioned, this condition has devastating impacts on the affected children because it interferes with their academic, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social functioning. Secondly, this issue remains a major public health concern because it negatively impacts affected families and the society. Since its negative impacts can persist into adulthood, ADHD among children generates financial burdens upon families and the society, which makes it a major public health concern. In this regard, professionals in public health are increasingly looking for measures to prevent and mitigate the prevalence and impacts of this condition. Through its negative impacts on children, families and the society, ADHD generates additional burdens to the public health sector.

ADHD among children is considered a public health issue because it generates individual and system cost burdens (Hinshaw, Peele & Danielson par, 1). The costs associated with this disorder are both direct and indirect since they arise in different ways given its numerous short and long-term manifestations. Additionally, this condition is a public health concern because it has broader implications at the population level, which necessitates the….....

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