ADHD Research

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a serious public health problem because of the large estimated prevalence of the disorder; significant impairment in the areas of school performance and socialization; the chronicity of the disorder; the limited effectiveness of current interventions to attend to all the impairments associated with ADHD; and the inability to demonstrate that intervention provides substantial benefits for long-term outcomes. However, because of the evolution of the case definition and differences in how the case definition is operationalized, there is disagreement as to prevalence and precise characteristics of children with the disorder.

Because of the lack of a single, consistent, and standard research protocol for case identification, variable and disparate findings have been noted in the literature. Consequently, relatively little is known about the etiology of ADHD, although genetic factors are believed to be important contributors. The basic epidemiology of ADHD needs further research to include the basic prevalence and identification of risk factors for ADHD.

The Division of Birth Defects, Child Development, and Disability and Health (proposed) hosted a conference September 23-24, 1999, entitled, "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Public Health Perspective". The meeting gathered over 150 individuals from a variety of research, consumer, academic, medical, and mental health disciplines to discuss the public health issues related to this disorder and potential future research. The conference presentations and material from the breakout sessions have been used to help prepare a public health research agenda for ADHD. This document delineates that plan.

Public health issues in ADHD can be divided into three areas: the burden of ADHD in the population, epidemiologic research issues in ADHD, and concerns related to interventions for ADHD. These three topical areas were identified by CDC as crucial for examining ADHD, and necessary to address public health concerns and opportunities for action. The Division of Birth Defects, Child Development, and Disability and Health (proposed) has used the information and suggestions from the conference and highlighted the key issues for each topic as well as the necessary actions to address these public health needs. The formal topical areas are:

• Social and Economic Burden of ADHD through the Lifespan
• Epidemiologic Issues in ADHD
• Interventions for ADHD

What research is being done

Several components of the NIH support research on developmental disorders such as ADHD. Research programs of the NINDS, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) seek to address unanswered questions about the causes of ADHD, as well as to improve diagnosis and treatment.