Adhd

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

(ADHD)
























Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Have you ever known someone who struggles with being unorganized, unable to listen, have behavior problems or interrupts conversations frequently? Have you ever thought that their brain is wired a little differently? That question is the essence of ADHD. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is defined as a “persistent pattern of inattention and / or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development (APA, p. 78).” Since there is an abundance of information concerning this topic, this paper will focus on the nature and effects of ADHD, highlighting cognitive and genetic research, while taking into consideration the role of culture.
Nature of ADHD
The clinical history of the behavioral syndrome underlying the ADHD diagnosis can be traced back over 200 years in medical literature (Palmer and Finger, 2001). Currently, ADHD is a diagnosis formulated by the American Psychiatric Association (APA, 1994) on the basis of clinical criteria. The criteria describes chronic behavioral symptoms of inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity that are presented to a degree that significantly interfere with a person’s family and peer relations as well as their educational and or occupational functioning. There are, according to the current DSM IV TR criteria, three main sub-types of ADHD: The mainly hyperactive / impulsive sub-type (314.01), the mainly inattentive sub-type (314.00) and the combined hyperactive-impulsive / inattentive sub-type (314.01).
International prevalence rates vary between three and six percent of school aged children and young people. ADHD applies social and cultural boundaries, with males outnumbering females by a ratio of about 3 to 1 (Tannock, 1998). ADHD is the most prevalent...