Identifying And Managing ADHD

Many parents worry their child will develop a mental health disorder or physical health condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder seen in children, though it often lasts well into adulthood for many people. Read on to learn more about identifying and managing the risk factors associated with ADHD.

What is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder?

The American Psychological Association defines ADHD as a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by traits related to impulsive behaviors, inattentive symptoms, and for some people, hyperactivity. People with ADHD tend to experience difficulties with organization, focus, thinking before acting and making realistic plans. Behaviors may include being fidgety or noisy, an inability to adapt to changing social and environmental factors, aggression, defiance, and social ineptitude. 

The subtypes

• Predominantly Inattentive
• Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive
• Combined

Common symptoms

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the symptoms of hyperactivity are almost always evident by age seven when they are present. Other symptoms may not become apparent until elementary school. Though the symptoms can vary by person and presentation, here are some of the typical core ADHD characteristics:

• May or may not include hyperactivity and related behaviors
• Trouble paying attention or focusing
• Short attention span
• Difficulty controlling impulsivity
• Problems with follow-through and disorganization
• Frequent careless mistakes
• Easily distractable
• Often takes unnecessary risks
• Challenges with taking turns
• Extreme restlessness, often presenting as fidgeting and squirming
• Tendency to lose or forget things
• Trouble resisting temptation

Changing the language around ADD

According to researchers at the Child Mind Institute, a national resource center dedicated to children’s mental health, mental health professionals no longer use the diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD). Knowledge of the condition has evolved, and now it is called ADHD, either with or without the hyperactivity element. 

What causes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder?

Although ADHD is one of the most well-researched areas of childhood and adolescent psychiatric disorders, the exact cause of the disorder remains unknown. ADHD occurs for various reasons and certain people may be at increased ADHD risk based on certain known risk factors. 

Genetics

According to a recent study, there is a significant association between genetics and risk factors for ADHD. Research indicates that ADHD may be an inheritable condition with up to an 80% chance of developing when someone has a close blood relative, such as a parent or sibling, with the disorder. However, some researchers place that chance around 22%, leaving the meta-analysis open for debate to explain the enormous range. 

Some researchers have suggested that “While molecular genetic approaches have identified a range of potential candidate genes, it is now clear that the genetics of ADHD are characterized by a number of genes, each of which makes a small but significant contribution to the overall risk.”

Chemical and environmental influences

Researchers consider exposure to environmental toxins as another ADHD risk factor. Lead is often found in the paint and pipes in older buildings and has been known to cause or contribute to numerous health issues. Exposure to lead or other heavy metals, dangerous synthetic compounds like pesticides, and prenatal alcohol, substance, caffeine, or tobacco use during the gestational age may also be contributing factors. For example, excessive exposure to maternal smoking may lead to ADHD, learning disabilities, or other psychiatric disorders later in life.

Food and nutritional deficiencies

Nutrition is vital for human survival, and if a person has a deficiency in something they need, it can have long-lasting effects, particularly during infancy and early childhood. Scientific studies have found an association between ADHD and nutrient deficiencies such as folate, zinc, iron, omega-3s, and copper. Certain food additives, such as sodium benzoate and various food dyes, are also being explored as potential risk factors for ADHD. 

Brain injury

A study from the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders found that even mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can increase the risk of developing ADHD. The study found that TBI effects can extend years after the original injury, with 62% of children more likely to have ADHD as late as six years after their TBI. In comparison, only 15% of children without TBIs in the study developed ADHD. 

Lifestyle

While lifestyle factors aren’t likely to cause ADHD, they may contribute to an individual’s overall likelihood of developing the disorder. Screen time, such as television, phones, video games, and other electronic media, has been shown to impact ADHD rates. Excessive screen time online can also lead to a potential internet addiction, which comes with behavioral concerns of its own. 

Recognizing signs and symptoms in females

According to the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition), global rates for ADHD are between 3% and 7%, with the male-to-female ratio as high as nine to one in clinical samples. 

While science doesn’t have an explanation for why boys are more frequently diagnosed and treated for ADHD compared to females, a 2013 study suggests that the disorder often presents differently in females, leading it to be consistently under-identified and undiagnosed.