A survey conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found lower rates of some mental disorders among American youth than have been reported in other published findings. The one exception was ADHD.

This information was revealed in a Dec. 14 release issued by the National Institutes of Health:

• Overall, 13 percent of respondents met criteria for having at least one of the six mental disorders within the last year.
• About 1.8 percent of the respondents had more than one disorder, usually a combination of ADHD and conduct disorder.
• Among the specific disorders, 8.6 percent had ADHD, with males more likely than females to have the disorder.
• 3.7 percent had depression, with females more likely than males to have the disorder.
• 2.1 percent had conduct disorder.
• 0.7 percent had an anxiety disorder (GAD or panic disorder).
• 0.1 percent had an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia).

"With the exception of ADHD, the prevalence rates reported here are generally lower than those reported in other published findings of mental disorders in children, but they are comparable to other studies that employed similar methods and criteria,"lead author Kathleen Merikangas, Ph.D., said in the release.

Labels: research, mental_health

Posted By: Aspen/CRC