White children are very likely to be overdiagnosed and overtreated for ADHD, according to a new study
The Research Brief is a brief summary of interesting academic work. Big idea White children are more likely to be overdiagnosed and overtreated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder during elementary school. That’s a key finding from our recent peer-reviewed study. We analyzed data from 1,070 US elementary school children who demonstrated above-average behavioral, academic, or executive functioning a year before their initial ADHD diagnosis. We think these children are unlikely to have ADHD. Children diagnosed and treated for ADHD must exhibit chronic inattentive, hyperactive or impulsive behavior that interferes with their functioning and results in below-average academic or social development. Among elementary school children who had demonstrated above-average academic performance, 27% of white children versus 19% of nonwhite children were later diagnosed with ADHD. About 20% of white children versus 14% of nonwhite children are taking ADHD medications. Among children wh