Cross‐cultural comparison of ADHD symptoms among Japanese and US university students

Abstract

Problems related to attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness are known to impact social, academic, and vocational success. When the problems begin in childhood and lead to impaired functioning, the syndrome is identified as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Symptoms of the syndrome persist into adolescence and adulthood for many individuals, but less is known about characteristics of adults compared to children, especially adults attending university. Furthermore, there is little cross-national and cross-cultural research. This study compared DSM-IV-TR ADHD symptoms of US university students (N=271) to Japanese peers (N=712). Comparison of group means on a DSM-IV-TR-based checklist indicated that Japanese students reported more problems with inattention (and overall ADHD symptoms) but not hyperactive-impulsive symptoms. Although differences were statistically significant, effect sizes were small, indicating that for practical purposes, the students reported similar levels of symptoms. Japanese students reported higher rates of meeting or exceeding symptom counts that comprise diagnostic criteria for ADHD, but differences were quite small. Using DSM-IV-TR thresholds, 5.70% of US students and 6.27% of Japanese students reported enough symptoms to meet the cut-off for inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, or combined type during childhood. With regard to recent problems, 2.66% of US students and 4.52% of Japanese students reported enough symptoms to meet the cut-off for one of the three subtypes. Comparisons using other methods of calculating rates are also provided. This research adds to the limited knowledge of ADHD symptoms in university students across countries and it supports the view that ADHD is not merely a cultural construct. This study is among the first to identify potential attention problems in Japanese university students.

The Direct/Indirect Association of ADHD/ODD Symptoms with Self-esteem, Self-perception, and Depression in Early Adolescents

“…These gender differences tend to decrease with age and are not found among adults in countries other than Japan (46, 48). However, the degree of ADHD symptoms in healthy samples can vary from country to country, for example, Japanese university students have higher ratings of inattention than university students in the USA (49). Further studies, based on cultural differences, are needed to confirm whether gender differences in ADHD symptoms decrease from adolescence to adulthood in Japanese samples.…”

Adapting an attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder parent training intervention to different cultural contexts: The experience of implementing the New Forest Parenting Programme in China, Denmark, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United Kingdom

“…Parental expectations and strategies for managing behavior differ in Japan compared to Western countries. Japanese culture values sensitivity to interpersonal cues and self‐monitoring (Davis, Takahasi, Shinoda, & Gregg, ). Praise is used sparsely to avoid complacency while the use of criticism to promote self‐improvement is a normative expectation (Heine et al, ).…”

Behavioral sensitivity of Japanese children with and without ADHD to changing reinforcer availability: an experimental study using signal detection methodology

“…Upwards of 5% of elementary school-age children are diagnosed with ADHD [ 1 ], 50–65% of whom continue to meet diagnostic criteria for the disorder in adulthood [ 2 , 3 ]. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has been identified across countries and cultures [ 4 ], with similar prevalence rates and symptom presentation, including in Japan [ 5 , 6 ].…”