Although recent attention has focused on intentional or unintentional overdoses of ADHD medications, new research suggests the benefits of the drugs, including suicide reductions, are often overlooked.

Controversies in the news media have made many skeptical about A.D.H.D., and there are legitimate concerns about over-diagnosis and medication misuse when it comes to attention deficit disorders. But strong scientific evidence supports the biological basis of this disorder and shows the dire consequences it can have on health and well-being…Fortunately, behavioral interventions and medication…

Do you misplace things? Are you easily distracted and often forget to complete tasks or attend appointments; or do you know someone who fits this description? Have you wondered if you have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?…So how can you tell if you have adult ADHD?”

Although relatively common, ADHD in adults can be very difficult to diagnose and manage. Some of the challenges and barriers we face when diagnosing and treating ADHD in adults are obvious. For example, providers have concerns when prescribing stimulants, which are controlled substances. Other challenges are less obvious and require more skill to overcome, including…

In a survey of 201 parents and caregivers, 74% of children were easily distracted, 73% did not listen to caregivers, and 66% were unable to sustain attention to tasks during the early morning, even when they took their stimulants as directed, according to Floyd Sallee, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of Ironshore Pharmaceuticals & Development,…

A McMaster University-led study has found that the mothers of teens with food allergies are more likely than the kids themselves to report that the youth have emotional and behavioural problems. Following 1,300 children involved in an Australian study, the researchers found that at 14 years old, about a third of teens with food allergies…

Winter may just be starting, but fall academic planning is only a few months away. Remember that grades are not the bottom line for academic planning. Some students get reasonable marks even while struggling significantly with ADHD, which can affect anything related to planning and organization…During school meetings, you can use the following checklist (a…

In the not-so-distant future, will playing video games be part of the prescription for treating children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? That’s what one company, Akili Interactive Labs, Inc., is hoping for. The Boston-based company just raised $30.5 million in venture capital funding to support clinical development for a game called “”Project: EVO.”” The developers hope…

The ADHD phenomenon is typically equated with hyperactive young boys, but a recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggests that many adult women suffer from the disorder and have not been properly diagnosed. ADHD looks different in women…In 2013, the DSM-5 revised the ADHD diagnostic criteria to account for the differences between…

We all know (or were) the kid who makes us wish for the invention of a Ritalin blow dart. But is it a good idea to put kids on psychiatric meds? And once they’re on, how long is long enough? The Savvy Psychologist tackles the topic of psychiatric drugs that start early and last a…

About a third of some 4,000 patients who gave urine samples turned up negative for their prescribed stimulants, Mancia Ko, PharmD, of Ingenuity Health — a service of Ameritox, a medication monitoring company — and colleagues reported at the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD) meeting here. In samples where the prescribed…

Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication found an estimated prevalence of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder of 4.4%, according to findings published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2006. Researchers noted that the estimate is likely conservative, in part because of more subtle symptoms in adults compared with children. Healio.com/Internal Medicine presents the latest research…