Several recent studies published by the American Journal of Psychiatry revealed that girls who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to show other mental health risks, reports the North Shore News.

Experts told the news source that girls with the condition are more likely to develop depression, anxiety, eating disorders or other psychiatric issues by the time they reach adulthood. The 11-year study followed 187 girls between the ages of 6 and 18, who were diagnosed with ADHD.

Furthermore, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital found that nearly 75 percent of women who suffered from ADHD since childhood developed depression or anxiety at some point during their lifetime.

However, researchers told the news source they believe the reason for these findings is that some children may have an underlying genetic susceptibility to these conditions.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 20.9 million in the U.S. have a mood disorder.
 

Labels: depression, girls

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According to of Carleton University's Cosmin Coltea (a developmental psychologist and dog trainer) simply having a pet dog could be therapeutic for children with disorders on the autism spectrum.

Pet dogs, on the other hand, may provide a similar level of emotional and behavioral therapy at a much lower cost.

Coltea told the Ottawa Metro that he had studied 20 families of children with autism -- and he found that families with dogs were more likely to have children with lower stress and fewer behavioral limitations.

In previous research, he reported that nearly half of the studied children with ASDs were strongly attached to their dogs.

Coltea himself has a 10-year-old son, Ryan, who has Asperger's Syndrome, a disorder that experts estimate is shared by 1 in 5,000 American children.
 

Labels: autism

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Officials from George Washington University are warning students about the use of "study drugs" such as Ritalin and Adderall as a means of staying focused. They caution that these drugs could be harmful to those who have not received a prescription, reports, the student newspaper, The George Washington Hatchet.

Drugs, such as Ritalin and Adderall, are stimulants that are used to treat symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Individuals diagnosed with the condition often exhibit impulsivity, difficulties concentrating and excessive talking. However, in those who take the drug without a prescription, "hyper-focused" and allowing them to stay alert for longer periods of time are among the effects experienced.

While this might entice students to take the drug, officials from the school told the news source that the risks of the drug outweigh the benefits. Furthermore, possible side effects include increased blood pressure, panic attacks, and hallucinations.

They added that when students obtain medication from friends or buy them illegally, they do not know the dosage or potential side effects, which puts them at risk of overdosing. Combining stimulants with caffeinated drinks or alcohol could lead to seizures or even death.

According to a 2008 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 1.9 million kids between the ages of 12 and 17 used prescription drugs to get high.

Labels: adderall, ritalin, substance_abuse

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According to a Nov. 12 press release, researchers with Wayne State University have revealed that a type of coaching developed by the Edge Foundation has proved effective at helping college students with ADHD learn and succeed during their university years.

[The study results] demonstrate the effectiveness of a new model of coaching, developed exclusively for and used by the Edge Foundation, to help college students with ADHD improve executive functioning, which is their ability to organize, set and achieve goals, and self regulate -- all critical for a successful post secondary education.

Additionally, students who participated in the study felt that coaching helped them feel less stress, greater empowerment, increased confidence and have more balanced lives.

With greater numbers of students being diagnosed with ADHD at various ages, many colleges and universities are adapting their student support services to ensure that students with ADHD are given the opimal opportunity to succeed.

Labels: students, college

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A study by the University of Rochester Medical Center has revealed an association between ADHD and hypertension (high blood pressure) among young people.

The following is an excerpt from a Nov. 12 article by Kathy Jones of MedIndia.net Child Health News:

•  
• The study involved 201 patients, all of whom had been referred to a pediatric hypertension clinic at URMC's Golisano Children's Hospital
• 101 of the patients who were studied actually had hypertension, or sustained high blood pressure, determined by 24-hour ambulatory monitoring or monitoring by a school nurse or at home.
• Overall, 18 percent of the children had learning disabilities, well above the general population's rate of 5 percent.
• But the percentage among those without hypertension was closer to 9 percent, and among those with hypertension, the rate jumped to 28 percent.
•  
• All of the children were between 10- and 18-years-old, and the children's learning disability and ADHD diagnoses were reported by parents.

Labels: research, health

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A Nov. 16 article by Kate Sikora of The Daily Telegraph has revealed that New South Wales (NSW) now lead all of Australia in the number of children who are receiving medication for ADHD. As Sikora's article indicates, this news has prompted concern from those who believe that ADHD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall are being over-prescribed:

Of the 57,419 Australian children on ADHD medications, more than a third are from NSW.

Figures released by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) show 22,824 children were prescribed Strattera, Dexamphetamine or Methylphenindate last year - up from 18,593 in 2007.

Aggressive marketing and a flood of new ADHD drugs on the market were being blamed for the rise, as well as "enthusiastic" prescribing doctors.

Anti-ADHD drug campaigner, West Australian Labor MP Martin Whitely, said governments and doctors needed to take action. "NSW is the hot spot. It's the ADHD capital," he said.

Labels: medications, adderall, ritalin

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If your child was suffering from an obvious physical ailment, you wouldn't hesitate to have him or her seen by a physician in order to get a proper diagnosis and necessary treatment.

But when it comes to issues such as behavior disorders, ADHD, and related issues, many parents often put off getting necessary testing out of misguided fears or concerns.

In a Nov. 15 editorial on the website of the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, parents were advised to ease their minds, put their worries aside, and focus on doing what is best for their children (and themselves):

ADHD is not because of problem parenting or because we are not organized; the brain just works a little differently. Just like taking medication because we have high cholesterol, we can help our brain function more effectively. Understanding one's symptoms and getting a proper diagnosis is essential in getting proper treatment.

If you are concerned about your child or yourself don't suffer needlessly, get the answers you need. This type of testing is no different and no less important that getting an answer to any physical problem people experience. And as with most health issues, the earlier the diagnosis the better the prognosis. Remember, this is a treatable medical condition, and you deserve the best life possible.

Labels: diagnosis, testing

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In a letter to the syndicated health advice columnist Dr. Peter H. Gott, a cosmetic dentist advanced the theory that many children with ADHD are actually suffering from upper airway obstructions -- and that surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoids can clear the obstruction and cure the ADHD.

Dr. Gott was not shy in expressing his opposition to this concept:

I believe it is not only unethical, but it is irresponsible to be telling everyone that surgery can cure ADHD. Not all children who have ADHD have a breathing/sleeping disorder. Not all children with both conditions will experience a cure or even improvement from either or both following surgery.

I am not discounting the fact that sleeping and breathing issues are much more common in children with ADHD and vice versa, but I am saying it is too early in the game to be saying this one solution is the end all as far as treatment options are concerned.

Though a study at the University of Michigan appears to show some support for the surgical option, Dr. Gott emphasized that one small study with less-than-decisive results is hardly the foundation upon which to base a wide-ranging recommendation.

"In the end, while some children did improve following surgery, this was a very small test," Dr. Gott wrote. "It also shows that not all children will improve after having surgery (though most did show improvement in their sleeping disorders)."

Labels: dangers, health

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A Grand Rapids, Michigan, theater recently staged an innovative play about ADHD.

"Distracted," which premiered off-Broadway in 2009, is told from the perspective of the mother of an ADHD child -- and the staging was designed to draw the audience into the "distractions" that often accompany life with ADHD:

“Part of the play is to immerse the audience in the experience of feeling distracted, so we’ll have lots of media popping up on the screen,” [director Fred] Sebulske said. “But you have to find a balance between getting the audience’s attention and distracting them at the same time.”

Written by Lisa Loomer and presented off-Broadway in 2009, “Distracted” is the story of a family whose 9-year-old son is acting out, refuses to go to bed at night and is disruptive at school.

“Every parent deals with this to some extent, but this is to the point where they think there may be a real problem,” Sebulske said.

The parents are inundated with solutions from teachers, therapists and friends ranging from pills to diet, biofeedback and homeopathic treatments.

“It’s told from the point of view of the mother,” Sebulske said. “She knows the audience is there and uses them as a sounding board. She always has someone to talk to.” (Source: MILive.com)

Sebulske told the Grand Rapids Press that he invited a counselor and a therapist who work wiht many ADHD individuals to attend rehearsals, answer questions from cast members, and ensure that the presentation was not demeaning to those with ADHD and their families.

Labels: awareness, families, mothers

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According to a Nov. 30 article by Andrea Hahn of The Saluki Times, an associate professor of psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is focusing on farmers' families as she studies the connection between ADHD and dyslexia in children:

Earlier research found that about 20-40 percent of children with ADHD also show signs of dyslexia, and vice versa. That percentage is higher than would be expected by chance, [Professor Michelle] Kibby said, and through her research she investigates the reasons why a child would have both conditions. ...

Children in the study come to Kibby’s on-campus testing site for a full day of non-medical tests administered by graduate students who assist Kibby in her research.

These tests measure various thinking skills such as executive functioning, reading, intelligence, attention, memory, language, and visual processing, along with motor skills such as fine motor, coordination, and visual-motor skills. In addition to the testing, children also complete an MRI scan, which she and her students will use to study the frontal lobe.

Kibby, who also is a child-clinical neuropsychologist, is qualified to diagnose ADHD and dyslexia. Children do not need a prior diagnosis of either dyslexia or ADHD to participate in the study, she said. Kibby is also looking for typically developing children as a comparison group.

Labels: research

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According to a report by Denise Dador of southern California's KABC Channel 7, experts estimate that as many as a million children with vision problems have been wrongly diagnosed as having ADHD.

However, other experts have cast doubt on those estimates:

"One of the questions that we ask parents is to decide whether it's an organic attention problem or maybe more related to a vision problem," said Daniel Press, O.D., a development optometrist at Family Eyecare Associates. ...

Vision experts say 60 percent of kids labeled as problem learners actually suffer from undetected vision problems.

But some have doubts. The American Academy of Pediatrics says vision therapy may give parents and teachers a false sense of security that a child's problems are being addressed.

Labels: visual_skills

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Labels: adult_ADHD

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