Time of onset and/or diagnosis of ADHD in European children: a systematic review

Abstract

Background Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood neurobehavioral conditions. Symptoms related to this disorder cause a significant impairment in school tasks and in the activities of children’s daily lives; an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment could almost certainly help improve their outcomes. The current study, part of the Models Of Child Health Appraised (MOCHA) project, aims to explore the age at which children experience the onset or diagnosis of ADHD in European countries. Methods A systematic review was done examining the studies reporting the age of onset/diagnosis (AO/AD) of ADHD in European countries (28 European Member States plus 2 European Economic Area countries), published between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019. Of the 2276 identified studies, 44 met all the predefined criteria and were included in the review. Results The lowest mean AO in the children diagnosed with ADHD alone was 2.25 years and the highest was 7.5 years. It was 15.3 years in the children with ADHD and disruptive behaviour disorder. The mean AD ranges between 6.2 and 18.1 years. Conclusions Our findings indicate that there is a wide variability in both the AO and AD of ADHD, and a too large distance between AO and AD. Since studies in the literature suggest that an early identification of ADHD symptoms may facilitate early referral and treatment, it would be important to understand the underlying reasons behind the wide variability found. Trial registration PROSPERO registration: CRD42017070631.

An Overview of Predicting the Prevalence of ADHD

“…Some other factors may influence the future improvement of children's ADHD rather than simply studying the possible causes and trying to avoid the nonadaptive behavior. For example, the earlier the age at onset is, the better and more efficient medical intervention could be in improving the children's ADHD [26]. Often, the first symptoms of ADHD are reported by the parents or primary caregivers of potential ADHD patients.…”

Computerized Assessment of Cognitive Development in Neurotypical and Neurodivergent Children

“…ADHD is a debilitating mental health disorder most frequently diagnosed during school years and is characterized by persistent symptoms of inattention and/or impulsivity and hyperactivity [7][8][9]. Early preventative approaches are less common for ADHD than other disorders [7,10].…”

“…[12]. However, parents play a central role in recognizing such behavioral problems early in their children by their perception, awareness, and acceptance of the disease and prompt decision to accompany the child to a specialist [9,13].…”

Effect of short-term methylphenidate on social impairment in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: systematic review

“…First, diagnosis of preschoolers with ADHD is complicated due to other aspects of their development (see, for example, [63]). As a result, younger children are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD during their early school years-namely around age 6 (see, for example, [64][65][66]). This is also enhanced by the transition of children from the family as their core social environment to a peer-based focused environment which starts when they enter school at age 6, when deficits in the social domain become more apparent (see, for example, [67]).…”