Prevalence of Parent-Reported ADHD Diagnosis and Associated Treatment Among U.S. Children and Adolescents, 2016

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to estimate the national prevalence of parent-reported attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and treatment among U.S. children 2-17 years of age using the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). The NSCH is a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of parents regarding their children's health that underwent a redesign before the 2016 data collection. It included indicators of lifetime receipt of an ADHD diagnosis by a health care provider, whether the child currently had ADHD, and receipt of medication and behavioral treatment for ADHD. Weighted prevalence estimates were calculated overall and by demographic and clinical subgroups (n = 45,736). In 2016, an estimated 6.1 million U.S. children 2-17 years of age (9.4%) had ever received an ADHD diagnosis. Of these, 5.4 million currently had ADHD, which was 89.4% of children ever diagnosed with ADHD and 8.4% of all U.S. children 2-17 years of age. Of children with current ADHD, almost two thirds (62.0%) were taking medication and slightly less than half (46.7%) had received behavioral treatment for ADHD in the past year; nearly one fourth (23.0%) had received neither treatment. Similar to estimates from previous surveys, there is a large population of U.S. children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with ADHD by a health care provider. Many, but not all, of these children received treatment that appears to be consistent with professional guidelines, though the survey questions are limited in detail about specific treatment types received. The redesigned NSCH can be used to annually monitor diagnosis and treatment patterns for this highly prevalent and high-impact neurodevelopmental disorder.

Economic Impact of Headache and Psychiatric Comorbidities on Healthcare Expenditures Among Children in the United States: A Retrospective Cross‐Sectional Study

“…2,3 Psychiatric comorbidities are also common and are associated with adverse effects including greater disability and increased risk for persistence of headache into adulthood. 8,9 Given the high prevalence and the associated health consequences, headache in childhood may result in substantial economic costs to families, healthcare systems, and society. 7 Youth with headache are more likely to have at least 1 of these psychiatric comorbidities than the general population of youth in the United States, where prevalence estimates are 7.1% for anxiety disorders, 3.2% for depressive disorders, and 9.4% for ADHD.…”

Practitioner Review: Assessment and treatment of preschool children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder

“…Rates of ADHD diagnoses in preschoolers, recently estimated to be 2.1%, are lower than that of school-age children and adolescents (Danielson et al, 2018). Nevertheless, in this age group the frequency of ADHD diagnosis has been rising, more than doubling between 2007/2008 and 2016 (Danielson et al, 2017(Danielson et al, , 2018. These findings are consistent with insurance claims data from 2008 to 2014 that indicate increases in the proportion of 2-5 year-old children being assessed and/or treated for ADHD (Visser et al, 2016).…”

“…Additionally, behavioral interventions, relative to pharmacological treatments, may differentially impact proximal outcomes, such as parent competence and mental health (Rajwan, Chacko, & Moeller, 2012). A recent population survey in the United States indicated that, compared to school-age children, a significantly lower proportion of preschoolers with ADHD were being treated with medication (68.6% vs. 18.2%), although the proportion treated with behavioral interventions did not differ significantly between the age groups (51.4% vs. 59.5%; Danielson et al, 2018). A recent population survey in the United States indicated that, compared to school-age children, a significantly lower proportion of preschoolers with ADHD were being treated with medication (68.6% vs. 18.2%), although the proportion treated with behavioral interventions did not differ significantly between the age groups (51.4% vs. 59.5%; Danielson et al, 2018).…”

Teachers’ role and attitudes concerning ADHD medication: A qualitative analysis

“…It is worth alerting to this ready association of ADHD with medication, as opposed to nonmedical treatment. Danielson et al () reported that medication is still the most used treatment for ADHD (62.0% of children with ADHD), pointing out that more than half of the children with ADHD do not receive behavioral treatment. Vereb and DiPerna () describe a lack of knowledge about alternative treatments.…”

“…Over the past decades, a large and controversial increase in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication use by children has been observed in many studies worldwide. In the United States, an estimated 8.4% of children received stimulant medication in 2016 (Danielson et al, ), up from 2.4% in 1996 to 3.5% in 2008. In the UK, the prevalence of ADHD drug use in children under 16 increased 34‐fold overall, rising from 0.02% in 1995 to 0.51% in 2008 and then stabilized (Beau‐Lejdstrom, Douglas, Evans, & Smeeth, ).…”