There could be countless explanations as to why children may be prone to attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). However, the bitter truth is that the number of ADHD cases has apparently increased by 66% since the last decade.
The team found that physicians have started treating many young patients for the aforesaid condition. For the trial, ADHD trends were analyzed between 2000 and 2010 for children aged below 18. The scientists examined the course of diagnoses and therapeutic remedies selected by the subjects.
Craig Garfield, M.D., first author of the study, cited, “ADHD is now a common diagnosis among children and teens. The magnitude and speed of this shift in one decade is likely due to an increased awareness of ADHD, which may have caused more physicians to recognize symptoms and diagnose the disorder.”
As per the findings, nearly 10.4 million kids and teens below the age of 18 suffered from ADHD in 2010, as compared to 6.2 million in 2000. In most cases, psychostimulants were used to treat the disorder with 96% and 87% treatments seen in 2000 and 2010, respectively.
Though the reason for the decreasing trend observed in medications is not clear, the investigators believed that they had not been substituted. Considering that the number of doctors specializing in pediatric ADHD has reduced, many children may not receive medical treatment in the days to come.
The report is published in the March and April issue of the journal, Academic Pediatrics.