john wrote:
see http://www.whale.to/drugs/whitaker.html

Yawn...another anti=psychiatry site.



"Roman Bystrianyk" wrote in message
oups.com...

Miranda Hitti, "CDC: More than 4.4 Million U.S. Youngsters Diagnosed
With ADHD", Web MD, September 1, 2005,
Link: http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/111/109881.htm

A new CDC report shows how common attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) has become in the U.S.

Data came from the parents of more than 102,000 kids. The findings:

* About 4.4 million kids had ever been diagnosed with ADHD.
* More than half of those kids (56%, or 2.5 million kids) were taking
medication for ADHD when the survey was done.
* ADHD was diagnosed more often in boys than in girls.
* ADHD was diagnosed less often in minority children and those without
health insurance.

The national survey was done by telephone. Parents were asked if a
doctor or health care professional had ever told them that their child
had ADD (attention deficit disorder) or ADHD.

ADHD was previously known as attention deficit disorder, says the CDC.

Boy-Girl Differences

A history of ADHD diagnosis was more common in kids who were at least 9
years old compared with those who were 4 to 8 years old, the survey
shows.

ADHD diagnosis history was most common among 16-year-old boys. About
15% of them had ever been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the boys'
parents.

For girls, a history of ADHD diagnosis was most common among
11-year-olds. Six percent of them had ever been diagnosed with ADHD,
according to the parents' reports.

For boys, ADHD diagnosis was more common in families living below the
poverty level. Rates of reported diagnosis for girls didn't vary by
income.

Rates were similar for boys and girls with reported ADHD diagnoses who
were taking medications for the condition.

Rates Varied Among States

The survey also showed substantial differences between states.

The number of kids with reported ADHD diagnosis ranged from 5% in
Colorado to 11% in Alabama.

Among kids who had reportedly been diagnosed with ADHD, California had
the lowest percentage of kids taking medication for ADHD (more than
40%) and Nebraska had the highest percentage (almost 58%).

The Fine Print

The survey has a few limits. For instance, the parents' reports
couldn't be confirmed.

ADHD treatments that don't involve medication weren't included. It also
didn't include people living in institutions, who might have higher
ADHD and medication rates.

The survey was only done in English or Spanish. That excludes families
who don't speak those languages.

Data didn't cover undiagnosed ADHD cases or kids without an ADHD
diagnosis who take medications for similar symptoms.