Attention Deficit

An article,  Identifying, Evaluating, Diagnosing, and Treating ADHD in Minority Youth,  published online Jan 11, 2008 in the Journal of Attention Disorders, authors Heather Hervey-Jumper, MD (University of Michigan) and others examined childhood ADHD in underrepresented minorities. Research was conducted by searching existing databases for information. 

The authors conclude that minority parents, on average, have less educational attainment than non-minority parents. Education is a factor that influences awareness of healthcare. In light of this, minority children with ADHD often do not receive proper medical intervention. The authors cite that, “Educated majority parents, on the other hand, have less tolerance for ADHD symptoms, have greater access to medical services.”

Furthermore, the authors cite a study indicating that, “African American and Hispanic children have 2 to 4 times more chronic physical and mental conditions than does the general public. There are not only higher levels of physical illnesses, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and asthma, but also many neuropsychiatric conditions (Bazargan et al.,2005; Levitt Katz et al., 2005).”

According to Dr. Hervey-Jumper, “A child of any race can be deeply affected by attention difficulties not only during school years but for a lifetime. It is tragic that many minority children are not provided with culturally sensitive assessments when we have effective treatments that can start these children on a track of progress. Untreated attention disorders can cause devastating results and we believe there are solutions for children of all ethnic backgrounds.”

Much of this study was a compilation of previous data. The authors do cite that all children should be treated and assessed individually to account for cultural differences. They also recognize the paucity of clinicians capable of performing in this capacity.