Research on A.D.H.D condition in the United StatesResearch statistics analysis

Almost 20% of boys who have attained the age of going to high school have been diagnosed with A.D.H.D. The same applies to 11% of the school going kids. This data is according to American “center for disease controlling and prevention.” This A.D.H.D rates depict a sharp rise compared to the rates ten years ago, a matter that could be of great concern in the medical field. It could also be of greater concern that A.D.H.D. drugs are being excessively used among the American kids.

The numbers revealed that approximately 6.4 million kids aged between 4 years and 17 years have been diagnosed with A.D.H.D. some where down the line in their life time. Nearly 67% of those children who have been currently diagnosed with A.D.H.D. are treated with drugs like Ritalin as well as Aderall which are by their nature stimulants. Although the drugs can be quite effective in treating the A.D.H.D. condition, they have drawbacks in that they are addictive and can cause psychosis and anxiety.

Most A.D.H.D. experts describe the condition as one that is as a result of chemical levels that are abnormal within the brain. This impairs an individual’s control of impulses as well as their attention capabilities.

There are medical practitioners and members of the public who believe that the rising A.D.H.D. diagnosis rate is ample proof that the medical condition is being arrested and well controlled. However, there are others who say that the new diagnosis rates indicate that a lot of kids could be taking A.D.H.D. medication to just calm their nerves or to perform better in class. A.D.H.D. pills shared among classmates are dangerous due to the health risks they pose when they are abused. This is a view which is shared by many doctors across the United States.

Historically, A.D.H.D. is known to affect approximately 3% to 7% of American kids. There is no perfect test for the disorder and the only way of determining it is through extensive dialogue with the patients, child’s parents as well as the teachers. This means that such determination process is highly subjective.

Dr. T. R. Frieden the C.D.C director, likened the ever increasing rate of stimulant medication usage among kids to the abuse of antibiotics and pain subscriptions among grown ups. Dr. Frieden expressed optimism that a lot of positive breakthrough can be made if the right A.D.H.D. drugs are prescribed to the right people. However, he was also saddened by the fact that for now, abuse of A.D.H.D. drugs seems to increasing at a very high rate.

One of the major reasons why usage of A.D.H.D. drugs have shot up according to the experts is due to the fact that some medical practitioners are jumping to the conclusion that any slight attention problems by kids is A.D.H.D.

Statistics on some states

The states in the southern part of America like Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and South Carolina had approximately 23% of young boys diagnosed with A.D.H.D. rates. Other states like Colorado and also Nevada recorded rates below 10%.