There is a large variation in how often U.S. pediatricians diagnose and prescribe drugs for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other mental health conditions, a new study suggests...The proportion of kids diagnosed with ADHD at each practice ran anywhere from 1 percent to 16 percent -- making it the disorder with the greatest variability.

When a patient visits the ED to get treatment for something that might be better addressed by a primary care provider, it can mean long waits and higher healthcare costs. In 2010, more than half a million visits to the ED made by children in the U.S. were due to problems with their emotions, concentration (also known as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD), behavior, or ability to get along with others.

Schools look to new research for therapies to help students who have ADHD...I talked with Jeffrey M. Halperin, a leading ADHD researcher and professor at Queens College of the City University of New York, who has helped develop some of the new theories and tools. He advises school leaders to be cautious before investing any time or money in them.

Researchers found that young people who take stimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) and Adderall have lower bone density than their peers. This could have serious consequences later in life, the study suggests. "Adolescence and young adulthood are critically important times for accruing peak bone mass -- the largest and densest bone," said the study's lead investigator, Dr. Alexis Feuer, a pediatric endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

When parents suffer depression, there can be a ripple effect on children. Kids may become anxious, even sad. There may be behavior problems. Health may suffer. Recently, a large Swedish study showed that grades may decline, too, when a parent is depressed.

In addition to ADHD symptoms, pharmacotherapy may improve ADHD-associated functional impairments related to academic performance and social and family dynamics. However, few clinical trials focus on function. A multicenter team of investigators turned their attention to the impact of guanfacine extended release (ER) and found reductions in functional impairment, compared with placebo, as measured by the Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale-Parent Report (WFIRS-P).

Describing inattention in ADHD as not being able to concentrate has always seemed like something of an understatement to me. It’s the kind of description you would give if you saw someone being inattentive, but it doesn’t really capture what inattention is like in the first person. When you have ADHD, it’s not simply that you can’t concentrate. It’s that concentrating can actually be painful.

So, what’s actually going on inside the ADHD brain and body, and could there be any benefits to having the condition? In AsapSCIENCE’s latest video, “Is ADHD An Advantage?,” hosts Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown explain environmental factors like maternal drinking and smoking during pregnancy are suspected to play a role in brain development, but ADHD is highly linked to genetics.

Which of the following are not true of young adults with ADHD?