Followed by a close second of Anxiety Disorders, ADHD has been found to be the top mental health diagnosis for children in the United States per the Center for Disease Control (CDC). While there seems to be more awareness around ADHD and problems with supply shortages of medications for ADHD, it can be an oversimplified or poorly understood disorder.
These days, the umbrella term ADHD is used to describe attention deficient disorder even for those who have a predominately inattentive type without hyperactivity. There used to be a delineation between ADHD and ADD though the DSM now provides diagnostic criteria for ADHD only and many academic institutions use the term ADHD only.
A comprehensive evaluation is essential to gaining an accurate diagnosis as problems with attention are not unique to ADHD alone. Mood and anxiety disorders, medical problems, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, poor self care or substance use problems can also manifest with impaired concentration and attention. To complicate things, it's not uncommon for a person to have ADHD in addition to another diagnosis. People with ADHD can have higher rates of addiction disorder, learning disorders, school failure, accidents, relationship difficulties, self esteem problems, and other mental health comorbidities. These complexities highlight the need for proper diagnosis and psychoeducation around the neurobiology of ADHD, differential diagnosis, and a conversation about the pros and cons of various treatment interventions.
Comments