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The number of children in the United States who are being diagnosed withADHDis on the rise, according to anew study.
However, not all demographics are experiencing the same rates of increase.
According to the study, which was published on Friday in JAMA Pediatrics, the rate of diagnosis has doubled for girls, with 6.1 percent being diagnosed in 2016, compared to 3.1 percent in 1997.
While the rate of diagnosis has also increased for boys, it’s been less significant (from 9 to 14 percent).
In the study, it was hypothesized that the reason behind the increased differential is due to changes in how the disorder is diagnosed, as girls “often fail to demonstrate classic hyperactive symptoms.”
The study found that black and Hispanic children are being diagnosed with ADHD at higher rates, which “might reflect increased access to care and decreased stigma in those communities.”
Among white children, the number has increased from 7.2 percent to 12 percent.
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The study also did not find any “scientific evidence” to support the claim that ADHD is overdiagnosed in children.
“I don’t think overdiagnosis is the main issue,” Dr. Wei Boi, who is the lead author on the study, said during a recent interview, according to CNN.
However, not all experts are so sure.
Stephen Hinshaw, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, expressed skepticism that the study reflected “a continuing rise in the true prevalence of ADHD, versus the diagnosed prevalence,” reportedHealthDay News.
The study called for an increased amount of research is necessary to understand why diagnosis rates have increased.
source: people.com
