Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adults with Intellectual Disability: A Review

Background Despite a reported excess of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in individuals with intellectual disability, it has been argued that ADHD symptoms have been under diagnosed and inadequately treated in individuals with intellectual disability. Materials and methods Published studies focussing on the level of ADHD symptoms in children and adults with intellectual disability are reviewed. Issues around screening for ADHD symptoms in individuals with intellectual disability and the validity of the diagnosis of ADHD are considered. Interventions including pharmacological studies are discussed with respect to published research. Results Reported prevalence rates of ADHD symptoms in individuals with intellectual disability vary significantly depending on instruments and diagnostic practices employed. Published research on interventions for individuals with ADHD has primarily focussed on pharmacological interventions. Conclusion Much less is known about ADHD in individuals with intellectual disability than about ADHD in individuals without intellectual disability. There is an urgent need to clarify baseline rates of ADHD in individuals with intellectual disability and to develop efficacious interventions to support affected individuals and their families.     

The Use of Qualitative Methods in the Study of Wellness in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

TOPIC. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) effects on children and families.
PURPOSE. To describe the gaps in current ADHD literature, exploring the role of qualitative research methods to study the health and well-being of children and families with ADHD.
CONCLUSIONS. In light of the difficult problems ADHD children experience and the low efficacy of many medical and psychological treatment, a need exists for understanding the contexts and everyday circumstances under which ADHD children and their families achieve well-being.     

Transitioning Youth With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to Adult Health Care

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood neurodevelopmental diseases and nearly two thirds of children with ADHD have symptoms that persist into adulthood. Approximately 750,000 children with special health care needs transition from pediatric to adult health care annually in the United States. For youth with ADHD, organized, coordinated, and systematic care transition from pediatric to adult health care providers is essential to prevent negative consequences related to unmanaged ADHD symptoms and to optimize health and promote maximum functioning. The Got Transition model's 6 core elements provide a guide to support successful transition for adolescents with ADHD.     

Patterns of Depressive Symptoms in Children

PROBLEM: Depressive symptoms in children have been linked to recurrent problems with depression, school problems, and risky health behaviors. Adolescent girls report depressive symptoms three to four times more frequently than adolescent boys. Few studies, however, have examined gender-related depressive symptoms in younger, school-aged children. METHODS: In the present study, gender differences in depressive symptoms in children ages 10-12 years were explored using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) with a convenience sample of 122 suburban middle-class public school fifth and sixth graders. FINDINGS: A distinct pattern of depressive symptom expression was found with girls reporting more internalizing and more negative self-esteem, and boys reporting more externalizing and more school problems. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that despite similarities on a total depressive symptom score, there are distinct gender differences in depressive symptom expression that are identifiable before adolescence and may be associated with normative development.     

Inhibition and Mental Effort in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The efficiency of cognitive inhibition was contrasted in children diagnosed with ADHD and a control group of age- and IQ-matched average children. Two tasks were used to measure inhibitory ability: the negative-prime Stroop task and a directed-forgetting memory task. Based on contemporary theoretical perspectives that postulate deficits in inhibitory function in the ADHD population, it was predicted that ADHD children would be significantly less efficient inhibitors than the average children. Contrary to predictions, however, ADHD children showed no deficits in inhibitory abilities compared to controls. Average children were faster on the second administration of the Stroop task, whereas ADHD children were slower. These results were interpreted within the framework of the inhibition models. It was proposed that differences in inhibitory abilities, such as the ones tapped here, may appear earlier than age 8, and that the engaging aspects of tasks may have optimized the ADHD children's performance. The slower performance of the ADHD group on the second administration of the Stroop task is consistent with the hypothesis that although ADHD children can inhibit, they find it more effortful to do so than do average children.     

A Practical Guide for Diagnosing Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Adult diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complex and can be difficult for the primary care provider for a number of factors, including the difficulty of showing childhood onset and because other disorders manifest similar symptoms. Assessment instruments validated by independent research can aid diagnosis. Varying in their designs and pros and cons, 8 independently validated assessment instruments were compared to help primary care providers choose the right assessment instrument for their needs and clinic and thus facilitate the diagnosis of adult ADHD.     

注意力缺陷多动障碍儿童的智力和行为特点

目的：探讨注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）儿童的智力水平、智力结构及行为特点。方法：对ADHD儿童组及正常儿童组用韦氏儿童智力量表（WISC-CR）及Achenbach儿童行为量表（CBCL）进行智力和行为测定,并对智力和行为测定的结果进行比较分析。结果：ADHD儿童的智力水平、总智商（FIQ）、言语智商（VIQ）及操作智商（PIQ）均明显低于正常儿童组,两组比较差异有统计学意义。在各项分测验中,除译码外,其他9项分测验差异均有统计学意义。两组儿童VIQ〈PIQ1个标准差（15分）所占人数比较,差异具有显著性。提示ADHD儿童存在智力结构发展的不平衡。两组儿童行为测试结果比较分析,显示ADHD儿童内向分、外向分及行为总分均明显高于正常儿童组,两组比较差异均有统计学意义。在各项分测验中,除体诉外,其他8项分测验差异均有统计学意义。结论：ADHD儿童同正常儿童相比智力水平较低,智力结构发展不平衡,还具有许多行为和情绪问题。     

注意缺陷多动障碍患儿家庭环境特征及自我意识的相关分析

目的探讨注意缺陷多动障碍(ADHD)患儿家庭环境特征及其与自我意识之间的相关性。方法采用家庭环境量表中文版(FES-CV)、Piers-Harris儿童自我意识量表(PHCSS)对79例ADHD儿童、71名正常儿童分别进行评估。结果 PHCSS中,AD-HD儿童行为、智力与学习情况、躯体外貌与属性、合群、幸福与满足及总分低于正常儿童(P<0.05);ADHD儿童在FES-CV中亲密度、独立性、知识性、娱乐性、道德宗教观、组织性得分低于正常儿童(P<0.05),矛盾性得分明显高于正常儿童(P<0.01)。回归分析显示,ADHD儿童FES-CV中的道德宗教观是影响PHCSS总分的主要危险因素(P<0.05)。结论 ADHD患儿的家庭存在家庭功能缺陷,并与患儿自我意识水平较低有关。     

感觉统合训练治疗儿童注意缺陷多动障碍研究

目的观察感觉统合训练治疗儿童注意缺陷多动障碍的临床疗效.方法将60例注意缺陷障碍儿童随机分为试验组和对照组各30例.试验组在常规治疗基础上给予感觉统合训练治疗,应用感觉统合评定量表评定疗效.结果治疗后,患儿的大肌肉与平衡不良及本体感觉不佳因子分明显高于治疗前 （ P〈0.01） ;触觉防御不当及学习能力发展不足因子分高于治疗前（ P〈0.05） ;治疗组的疗效优于对照组（ P〈0.05）.结论在药物治疗基础上进行感觉统合训练,可提高注意缺陷多动障碍患儿的康复疗效.     

Promoting Responsiveness between Mothers with Depressive Symptoms and Their Infants

Purpose: To test the efficacy of an interactive coaching intervention to promote responsiveness between mothers experiencing postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) and their infants.
Design: An experimental design with 117 postpartum women in the Northeastern United States.
Methods: Participants were randomly assigned either to the treatment or control group. Both groups had home visits at 4–8 weeks, 10–14 weeks, and 14–18 weeks postpartum and mother-infant interaction was videotaped and coded for responsiveness. The treatment group also received a coached behavioral intervention designed to promote maternal-infant responsiveness. Measures included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Dyadic Mutuality Code.
Findings: The hypothesis, that the treatment group would show significantly higher maternal infant responsiveness after the intervention, was supported. No effect of the intervention on depression scores was found. A significant increase in responsiveness and a significant decrease in depression scores occurred over time for both treatment and control groups. No interaction between group and time was detected.
Conclusions: The study showed that a coaching strategy had a positive effect on maternal infant interaction in this sample. Future research is needed to test coaching interventions in conjunction with other strategies targeted to promote maternal-infant responsiveness and to reduce PPDS.     

Sugar consumption,sugar sweetened beverages and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a significant neurobehavioral disorder in children and adolescence which may be affected by diet.ObjectiveTo evaluate the possible relationship between sugar consumption and the development of symptoms of ADHD.MethodsIn March 2020, an exhaustive systematic literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. In this meta-analysis of observational studies, odds ratios, relative risks, hazard ratios, and their 95% confidence intervals, which was reported for ADHD regarding SSBS, soft drink consumption, and dietary sugars, were used to calculate ORs and standard errors. At first, a fixed-effects model was used to drive the overall effect sizes using log ORs and SEs. If there was any significant between-studies heterogeneity, the random-effects model was conducted. Cochran’s Q test and I² were used to measure potential sources of heterogeneity across studies. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the quality of the included articles.ResultsSeven studies, two cross-sectional, two case-control, and three prospective with a total of 25,945 individuals were eligible to include in the current meta-analysis. The association between sugar and soft drink consumption and the risk of ADHD symptoms were provided based on the random-effects model (pooled effect size: 1.22, 95%CI: 1.04-1.42, P = 0.01) (I² = 81.9%, P _{heterogeneity}< 0.0001).ConclusionThis meta-analysis indicated a positive relationship between overall sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and symptoms of ADHD; however, there was heterogeneity among included studies. Future well-designed studies that can account for confounds are necessary to confirm the effect of sugar on ADHD.     

Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse: Their Relationship with Depressive Symptoms in Adulthood

The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of childhood physical and sexual abuse among 206 low-income single mothers and to examine the relationship of childhood abuse to current maternal depressive symptoms. Severe physical abuse was reported by 36 percent of the women. The prevalence of sexual abuse was 22 percent; more than one-half of these women were violently abused. High depressive symptoms were reported by 51 percent of the mothers. Both severe physical abuse and sexual abuse in childhood were associated with high depressive symptoms. Women who experienced violent sexual abuse were almost four and one-half times more likely to report high depressive symptoms, compared to the women who were not sexually abused. These findings provide further evidence that childhood abuse may have long-term consequences for women's mental health .     

Specificity in Personality and Cognitive Factors Associated with Drinking and Depressive Symptoms

The purpose of this investigation was to demonstrate whether personality and cognitive factors associated with depression and drinking were behavior-specific or general to problem behavior in youth. High school students aged 14–18 completed measures of trait disinhibition, trait inhibition, alcohol expectancies, and generalized outcome expectancies. Linear regression determined the relative contribution of each set of personality and cognitive variables in predicting drinking symptoms and symptoms of depression in youth. In the case of depression, depression factors, particularly cognitive factors, predicted 42% of the variance above and beyond background and alcohol variables. In the case of drinking, drinking risk factors predicted 42% of the variance in drinking symptoms above and beyond demographic variables and variables associated with depression. Despite small cross over in prediction (e.g., alcohol variables accounting for 4% unique variance in depression), personality and cognitive factors associated with drinking and depression were largely specific in this adolescent sample.