The evolution and characteristics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Attention-Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

According to the American Psychiatric Association Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) is now referred to as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD. However, most lay people and some professionals will still refer to the condition as ADD, which are the names given to the condition in 1980. ADHD has been around for a longer period than most people actually recall or realize. Hippocrates, who lived from 460 to 370 BC, described a condition similar to ADHD. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorder where there are substantial problems with executive functions that cause hyperactivity, attention deficits, or impulsiveness, which is inappropriate for the person's age. In order for a diagnosis to be made for the condition, the symptoms of ADHD must persist for six months or more. According to (McGoey et al., 2014), they define ADHD as a condition that causes a person to have trouble focusing on tasks and paying attention, they tend to act without thinking, and they would have trouble sitting still. The condition might begin in early childhood, and will most probably continue into adulthood. It is estimated that about 30-50% of the children diagnosed with ADHD will continue to demonstrate the symptoms into adulthood, and about 2-5% of adults will have the condition. The exact cause of ADHD is still unknown, but research is still ongoing to establish the causes. It has also been established that it tends to run in the family. ADHD causes impairment especially in modern society, but many children will have a good attention span for activities they find interesting. According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that there are around 39 million people who are affected by ADHD as of 2013. When the condition is diagnosed using the DSM-IV criteria it is estimated that the condition affects 6-7% of children, but when the ICD-10 criteria is used it affects about 1-2% of children. There has not been any indicators to illustrate differences between different countries. Therefore, the disease is not dependent on the geographical placement of the individual. There are three subtypes of ADHD namely predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, predominantly inattentive, and combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive (Roberts, Martel, & Nigg, 2013).

Symptoms of ADHD

Any child can have trouble paying attention and be fidgety, but a child with ADHD will have these symptoms to a point where they become a distraction in the classroom and at home. There are three primary symptoms of ADHD hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsiveness. Inattention is not easily noted in children until they go to school. In adults, the disorder can be easily noticed in social situations or workplace. An individual suffering from ADHD, will procrastinate, fail to complete tasks, or will frequently move from one uncompleted task to another (Gudjonsson, Sigurdsson, Sigfusdottir, & Young, 2012). The individual will lack focus, be disorganized, have trouble staying on topic while they talk, fail to listen to others, not follow social rules, and they can be easily distracted by trivial things that others would ignore. Hyperactivity might vary with age, but it is noticeable in preschoolers. Toddlers and preschoolers suffering from ADHD will tend to constantly be on the move, jumping on furniture, and have trouble taking part in group activities that require them to sit still. For example, they would have a hard time listening to a story. School going children would have the same habits as the toddlers, but one would not notice them quite often. The child would not stay seated, talk a lot, squirm, or fidget. For teens, hyperactivity would show up as feelings of restlessness. The teens would also not manage to perform quiet activities that require them to sit still. Impulsivity would demonstrate itself in terms of the child knocking over objects or constantly banging into people. Children with ADHD would do risky things without thinking about the consequences and end up putting themselves in danger.

ADHD can affect an individual of any intellectual ability. However, it is mostly common in individuals who have learning difficulties. People suffering from ADHD will have additional problems like anxiety and sleep disorders. It is possible for the symptoms of ADHD to be noticed at an early age, but they would be more noticeable when the child's circumstances change, like when they begin school (Harold et al., 2013). A majority of ADHD cases are diagnosed between ages 6 and 12 in children. ADHD symptoms will improve over time as the individual grows, but most adults diagnosed with ADHD at a young age will continue experiencing problems.

Treatment

Research has shown that there is no cure for ADHD, but the condition can be managed effectively using appropriate educational support, and advice. Medications are the first line of treatment offered to adults suffering from ADHD. It should be noted that treatment does not eliminate the negative outcomes of ADHD, but it does improve the long-term outcomes. Most treatment objective will include behavior therapy and medications. The medications of ADHD may cause side effects like headaches, twitches, loss of appetite, or problems sleeping. Therefore, parents should closely watch over the children when they begin using the medications. In most cases, the side effects will get better within a few weeks of consuming the drugs. However, if the side effects do not improve the parents should speak to their doctor in order to have the dosage lowered. Antshel, Faraone, and Gordon (2012) posit behavior therapy is aimed at improving the child's behavior, and it focuses on changing the child environment. Often, extra support at home and counseling would assist the child to succeed academically and they would better about themselves.

About 20-30% of the children would suffer from learning problems, which would not be assisted by ADHD treatment. According to0020Fabiano et al. (2009), there is good evidence to encourage the use of behavioral therapies especially for children, which is the first line of treatment for ADHD. Although there is little research to demonstrate the effectiveness of family therapy, studies have shown that it is better than placebo, and it is similar to community care. Children are encouraged to form friendships with others who do not have delinquent behaviors. This would discourage the child from developing depression, school failure, substance abuse, and criminality behavior. Undertaking regular physical exercise would be an effective additional treatment for ADHD because it would reduce the energy levels. However, the intensity and best type of exercise have not been established using research. Physical exercise has been shown to increase motor abilities and better behavior without causing any side effects.

In regards to medication, the pharmaceutical treatment of choice is stimulant medications. In the short-term, the stimulant medications have an effect in about 80% of people. There are a number of medications that are not stimulant like atomoxetine, clonidine, guanfacine, and bupropion, which can be used as alternatives. No tangible studies compare the various medications, but they appear to be equal in terms of the side effect they cause. Stimulant medications have been shown to improve academic performance while the others do not. There is little evidence to show that stimulants have an effect on social behaviors. Since the long-term effects of the medications are unknown for preschool children, they are not recommended the medications. Various studies have attempted to show the long-term effects of stimulants, but the studies differed in that one study demonstrated benefit, another demonstrated no benefit, and the third one demonstrated evidence of harm. This clearly indicates there is a need for further research on the effects of the medications, especially on children. The use of medications varies from country to country, with the United States recommending medications for almost all age groups and the United Kingdom recommending the use of medication for severe cases only.

Conclusion

ADHD is a disorder that can affect any child, but it is mostly genetic. Being diagnosed with the disorder at an early age would allow the child to learn how to manage its symptoms and problems helping them lead a normal and fruitful life. The symptoms of the disorder vary from person to person and the severity depends on the coping strategies employed by the individual. Parents should be more understanding and willing to seek medical assistance if they notice their child is overly hyperactive. The proposed method for treatment is therapy at first, and medications would be introduced when therapy is found not to work. Numerous research studies have analyzed ADHD, but the results seem to differ especially when it comes to the best treatment strategy. The use of medications is highly recommended, but due to the side effects some researchers have indicated that medications should be used together with behavior therapy in order to reduce the side effects. Since most of the drugs long-term effects are unknown, it is best to reduce the usage of medications on young children and seek other treatment strategies.