RATES OF AD/HD IN YOUTH AGES 4-17: NEW CDC REPORT CONFIRMS PREVIOUS STUDIES, RAISES NEWS QUESTIONS
Tuesday, September 6, 2005

CHADD is pleased that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, September 2, released the results of a national survey that documents that 4.4 million, or 7.8 percent, of 4-17 year old children have a parent-reported history of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) diagnosis and 2.5 million of that number (56.3%) were taking medication for it at the time of the survey. At the same time, CHADD encourages more federal government follow up studies to learn even more about prevalence, medication rates, and other treatment interventions.

"In an environment where so many throw around numbers with no basis, it is encouraging to see a leading federal agency of science publish such numbers on the population affected by AD/HD," said CHADD CEO E. Clarke Ross, D.P.A. "This study will inform our efforts as we move forward educating the public and policy-makers about the disorder."

The findings also showed that some racial and ethnic groups and the uninsured with a history of AD/HD diagnosis were less likely than others to be currently taking medication for it. Outreach to the African American and Hispanic/Latino communities continues to be an important part of CHADD's current strategic activities. CHADD calls on the federal government to continue to research into these group differences.

The study is unique in that it also provides a glimpse into each state where diagnosis and treatment rates varied, sometimes greatly. For example, the rate of reported AD/HD diagnosis for Colorado was nearly 5 percent compared to 11 percent in Alabama. In May 2001, the Cleveland Plain Dealer published Drug Enforcement Administration data showing the use of methylphenidate in every county in the United States. That study also documented tremendous variation in the use of medication to treat AD/HD.

"The variation in rates of reported diagnosis and medication treatment from state-to-state underscores the need to educate professionals in the health care community about the guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics," said Dr. Ross. "Everyone, regardless of location, should have access to medical professionals who understand the disorder and respond to it using evidence-based treatment."

Scientific findings, including those from the National Institute of Mental Health Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with AD/HD, show that treating AD/HD often requires a combination of medical, educational, behavioral, and psychological intervention, referred to in the mental health community as "multimodal treatment." CHADD's Professional Advisory Board defines multimodal treatment for children and adolescents with AD/HD as parent and child education about diagnosis and treatment, behavior management techniques, medication, and school programming and supports. Treatment should be tailored to the unique needs of each child and family.

The survey findings come from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), which was a telephone survey of over 100,000 parents of non-institutionalized youth 17 years and younger conducted between January 2003 through July 2004. The parents were asked about the physical and emotional well-being of their children 17 years and younger.

For more information on the study, the full publication can be found at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5434a2.htm or the CDC National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, ADHD Program at www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd