Source+8

Faraone, S. V. (2003, June). The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: is it an American condition? //PMC//. Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525089/

1.ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. 2.ADHD affects one in 20 children in the US. 3. This is not only in the United States but in other countries too. 4. The symptoms are: inattention and/or impulsivity and hyperactivity. Having ADHD can affect home and school life. 5. People with this disorder are more likely have a lower occupational status, poor social relationships and are more likely to develop a substance abuse if not managed correctly. 6. 80% of children with ADHD, symptoms persist into adolescence and may even continue into adulthood. 7."All children were scored for hyperactivity using the Conners' 1969 Teacher Rating Scale, as used in the USA. 4.5% of the controls were scored as hyperactive." 8. 42.7% of those children were scored as hyperactive; comparable to 30-40% of children referred to child guidance clinics in the USA who are diagnosed as hyperactive. 9.  Diagnostic criteria for ADHD, has been evolving over the last 20-30 years since the terms 'attention deficit' and 'hyperactivity' were introduced. 10. "Hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) and deficits in attention, motor control and perception (DAMP) are still in use in the UK and a few other European countries"

11. Diagnostic material has increased for ADHD because research has furthered our understanding of the distinctive characteristics of the disorder. 12. Studies in the US showed that community samples have higher prevalence rates than school samples (mean prevalence: 10.3% for community samples vs. 6.9% for school samples). 13. ADHD is more prevalent in boys than girls, especially children. 14. "All four studies of US populations involved children with a mean age of 9-11 years and investigated children within a similar age range. The prevalence rates for three of the studies lie within the range 9.1-12%." 15."Several of the non-US DSM-III-R and DSM-IV studies found fairly low prevalence figures, between 2.4 and 7.5%. The countries included in the low-prevalence group are Sweden (2/2 studies in this population), Italy (1/1 study in this population), Australia (2/2 studies in this population), Iceland (1/1 study in this population), and Spain (1/1 study, but only for 11 years age group)"