Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Sep;38(7):455-464.
doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000477.

A National Profile of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Among US Children Aged 2 to 5 Years

Melissa L Danielson  1 , Susanna N Visser, Mary Margaret Gleason, Georgina Peacock, Angelika H Claussen, Stephen J Blumberg
Affiliations

A National Profile of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Among US Children Aged 2 to 5 Years

Melissa L Danielson et al. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2017 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: Clinical guidelines provide recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with specific guidance on caring for children younger than 6 years. This exploratory study describes ADHD diagnosis and treatment patterns among young children in the United States using 2 nationally representative parent surveys.

Methods: The National Survey of Children's Health (2007-2008, 2011-2012) was used to produce weighted prevalence estimates of current ADHD and ADHD medication treatment among US children aged 2 to 5 years. The National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (2009-2010) provided additional estimates on types of medication treatment and receipt of behavioral treatment among young children with special health care needs (CSHCN) with ADHD.

Results: In 2011 to 2012, 1.5% of young children (approximately 237,000) had current ADHD compared to 1.0% in 2007 to 2008. In 2011 to 2012, 43.7% of young children with current ADHD were taking medication for ADHD (approximately 104,000). In young CSHCN with ADHD, central nervous system stimulants were the most common medication type used to treat ADHD, and 52.8% of young CSHCN with current ADHD had received behavioral treatment for ADHD in the past year.

Conclusion: Nearly a quarter million In young CSHCN have current ADHD, with a prevalence that has increased by 57% from 2007 to 2008 to 2011 to 2012. The demographic patterns of diagnosis and treatment described in this study can serve as a benchmark to monitor service use patterns of young children diagnosed with ADHD over time.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Perou R, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ, et al. Mental health surveillance among children–United States, 2005–2011. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2013;62(suppl 2):1–35. - PubMed
    1. Visser SN, Danielson ML, Bitsko RH, et al. Trends in the parent-report of health care provider-diagnosed and medicated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: United States, 2003–2011. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014;53:34–46. e32. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Akinbami LJ, Liu X, Pastor PN, et al. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Children Aged 5–17 Years in the United States, 1998–2009. Hyattsville, MD: CDC National Center for Health Statistics; 2011. - PubMed
    1. American Academy of Pediatrics. ADHD: clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2011;128:1007–1022. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gleason MM, Egger HL, Emslie GJ, et al. Psychopharmacological treatment for very young children: contexts and guidelines. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2007;46:1532–1572. - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances