ADHD in the News 2021-02-18
The great attention deficit: More parents seek ADHD diagnosis and drugs for kids to manage remote learning
Susan McLaughlin's 12-year-old daughter, Isabela, was a straight-A student before the pandemic...But when her school shut down in March and classes shifted to Zoom, Isabela's grades took a nosedive...McLaughlin isn't alone in seeking an ADHD assessment for her child during the pandemic. Two dozen parents, pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists and researchers all described a crisis among children suffering from inattention and tanking school performance.
Busting Myths About Black Individuals With ADHD
Previous systematic reviews estimate the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) worldwide as 5.6% to 7.2%.1,2 However, there is evidence that some ethnocultural groups, such as Black individuals, are underrepresented in studies.3,4 One systematic review found a higher prevalence of ADHD in Black than white youth, with evidence for a wide range in individual estimates for Black youth.3 Many factors may contribute to this variability.
Diverse therapists provide understanding, accurate mental-health diagnoses for people of color–and more are needed: Coping Through COVID
When licensed professional counselor Tamara Ferebee meets with her Black female clients, they talk Black girl to Black girl. There’s no need to explain why a Black person might feel anxious while driving, or how microaggressions in the workplace cause low self-esteem...Here are organizations that offer directories of therapists who are people of color or culturally competent, as well as information and educational materials.
Examining the Relationship Between Religiosity and ADHD
Symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood correlated with less involvement with religious activities and prayer, investigators found in a longitudinal study involving more than 8000 people. Here, lead author Rachel Dew, MD, MHSc, of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, explains the findings, including some surprising analyses, and how they could be applied in the clinical treatment of youth with ADHD.
Maternal Depression and Anxiety Linked to Offspring ADHD
Maternal psychiatric conditions could forecast the likelihood the offspring will develop attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in late adolescence, according to new research. A team, led by Getinet Ayano, MSc, School of Public Health, Curtin University, explored the association between maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms and the risk of ADHD symptoms in late adolescence.
Study finds ADHD risk may increase in pregnant women with autoimmune disorders
According to a recent study of babies and mothers in Australia, pregnant women with autoimmune disorders are significantly more likely to have a baby who later develops attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. Common autoimmune disorders include Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and multiple sclerosis.
People with ADHD and DBDs share genetic variants associated with risky behaviors
People with attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined with disruptive behaviour disorders (DBDs) share about the 80% of genetic variants associated with aggressive and antisocial behaviours. This is one of the conclusions of a study published in the journal Nature Communications which counts on the participation of professor Bru Cormand, from the Faculty of Biology and the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB)...
Dr. Rakesh Jain on Nonstimulant Treatment Options for Pediatric ADHD
In this video, Psych Congress Steering Committee member Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, discusses an article he cowrote on nonstimulant treatment options for pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The paper, which summarizes both currently available treatments and those under development, was recently published in CNS Spectrums. (video + transcript)
Asymmetry in cortical and subcortical structures of the brain in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Researchers assessed abnormalities in cortical and subcortical asymmetry in children and adolescents of different ADHD subtypes using data from the Peking University site in the “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-200 sample” dataset, which included 31 eligible ADHD (20 inattentive ADHD [ADHD-I], 11 combined ADHD [ADHD-C]), and 31 matched typically developing (TD) individuals.