Do you ever feel that you are having difficulty paying attention to any task or conversation? Do you act hyperly towards the people? Did you ever notice your impulsive behaviour while working? Well, you might have ADHD, you may not know the meaning of it but you should try to know what it is and how it diagnoses people with different age groups.

In this article you will get to know everything about ADHD. What is it? What is its prevalence today? How to recognise that you or your loved one has ADHD? 

And many more things that you should know like its treatment. 

Let us get started with its meaning and definition.

What is ADHD and Its Types?

ADHD basically means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a neurological disorder which messes with the mind of a person. 

Besides, ADHD makes a person impulsive and hyperactive in behaviour. 

They start to find it difficult paying attention to a conversation or a task and cannot sit still for a while.

And it is a very common disorder in children these days more than adolescents and adults. However it can diagnose a person at any age. Mostly it gets developed in childhood only and continues through life. 

There is no full cure to the disorder but many therapies and medication can work effectively and reduce the symptoms of it.

Stats in 2021

ADHD has become a universal disease which affects a person’s mind and behaviour. Its prevalence in the world is as low as 1% to as high as 20%. 

An estimated worldwide prevalence of ADHD is 5.3%. Besides in India its prevalence is estimated to be 1.6%-17.9%.

Worldwide surveys have shown that ADHD has a higher prevalence in higher-income countries. according to NIMH, ADHD universality in children is estimated at 11% (NIMH, 2017). 

Thus, a survey conducted by Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology in 2018, says that boys are more prevalent to ADHD with twice the number than girls.

Symptoms in 2021

People diagnosed with ADHD have two main problems which are inattentiveness and impulsiveness. Usually, the symptoms become noticeable after the age of 6. And Symptoms associated with ADHD are listed below:

• Easy distraction and Making mistakes
• Forgetfulness
• And Unable to complete a task
• Unable to be a part of conversation for a while
• Constantly changing task to task
• Finds it difficult to organize a task
• Unable to sit still for a while
• Difficult to concentrate on a task
• Talk excessively
• Acting without thinking
• Lastly, no sense of danger

 ADHD in children 

According to the survey conducted by Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2014 & 2018

• The percentage of children diagnosed with ADHD expands with age. Surveys reveal 2.4% (388,000) of children aged 2 to 5 years old, and 9.6% (2.4 million) of children aged 6 to 11 years old have been diagnosed with ADHD.
• Besides, the median age for severe ADHD is 4 years old.
• The median age for moderate ADHD is 6 years old.
• The median age for mild ADHD is 7 years old.

ADHD in teens

A survey conducted by Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, in 2010 reveals

• 8.8% of teens aged 13 to 14 years old, 8.6% of teens aged 15 to 16 years old and 9% of teens aged 17 to 18 years old have been diagnosed with ADHD.
• And 4.2% showed severe impairment of all adolescent ADHD cases.

ADHD in adults

The ADHD prevalence among adults in the USA was 4.4% as in 2001-2003 shows Harvard Medical School. 

Although, the rate of adults diagnosed with ADHD is increasing four times faster than the children, says JAMA Psychiatry, 2019.

Some adults who have been formerly diagnosed with ADHD have learned to deal with the symptoms of it well and are not prone to have ADHD later in their life. “They would not necessarily meet ‘full criteria’ for ADHD,” Dr. Hammond said.

 “Most research suggests that ADHD does not really ‘go away,’ but more so adults report less symptoms.” Only 11% of adults with ADHD receive treatment.

Life of people with ADHD

As children who are diagnosed with ADHD get older, the way of impact of the disorder changes upon them and their families. 

Besides, the main difficulties of ADHD changes by time, depending on the urgings made on a person by their surroundings. This differs with family and school resources, also with age, cognitive ability, and perception of the child or young person. 

The circumstances that are tactful to the needs of the person with ADHD. 

Optimal medical and behavioural management supports the people with ADHD. And allows them to achieve their full potential while minimising the unpleasant effects on themselves or the society as a part of them.

Treatment of ADHD in 2021

There are many therapies and medications that can help reduce the ADHD symptoms in a person. However the most trusted and effective therapy is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for ADHD. And it is a combination of different cognitive and behavioural therapies.

You need to take a combination of therapies and medications for better results. Some stimulant medications such as Adderall or Ritalin are the most prescribed medicines for ADHD people by the doctors.

To treat ADHD in children, CBT is the most popular therapy because it does not have any side effects and is best for treating children while playing with them. 

And It can be done by a professional who will teach the child how to express his thoughts and feelings without any fear. The best part is parents can be included in the therapy with the child.

77% of children diagnosed with ADHD of age 2 to 17 years old, were having some type of treatment of which almost one-third (32%) were taking both medical and therapy treatment in the year 2016.

As a result of a survey conducted by the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 2018, shows that 62% of them take ADHD medication. 

So, stimulants like Adderall are the highly recommendable medicine for ADHD. And 30% take medication alone. 47% receive behavioral treatment, the majority of which are aged 2 to 5 years old. 15% receive only behavioral treatment

Conclusion

ADHD is a pretty common neurological disorder worldwide these days. And It can affect a person at any age mostly it is common in children of age group 6 to 12 years. However, It becomes interruptive in the daily life of a diagnosed person.

If you or your child has ADHD contact a therapist and get it treated by time before it gets worse in your life and starts affecting your loved ones too.

Only a doctor can diagnose ADHD symptoms while taking an ADHD test including a psychometric test and cognitive test. Hence, if you see any of the symptoms like this in adults and children then you must take the person to the doctor.