A major study of more than a million children has found strong links between receiving ADHD Diagnosis and some parent variables, and welfare benefits , according to the June 2010, issue of Acta Paediatrica.
These may be ONLY a part of a HOLISTIC 'ASSESSMENT OF NEED.'
Swedish experts teamed up to carry out what they believe is the first study of risk factors for ADHD in a national cohort of school children, based on 1.16 million children on the country’s Prescribed Drug Register.
“We identified 7,960 Swedish-born children, aged between six and 19, using a prescription for ADHD medication as our indicator of severe ADHD” explains lead author Professor Anders Hjern from the Centre for Health Equity Studies, a collaboration between the Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University.
“We then tracked their records through other registers, using the unique ten digit reference number all Swedish residents are given at birth, to determine a number of other factors.”
ADHD is a common, treatable childhood illness that can affect areas of the brain connected to problem solving, planning ahead, understanding others’ actions, and controlling impulses. The primary symptoms of the condition are hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention.
“Genes are also known to play an important role in the development of ADHD and studies of identical twins show that they are very likely to exhibit the same ADHD traits” says Professor Hjern, who carried out the study when he was based at the National Board of Health and Welfare.
Key findings of the Swedish study include:
Boys were three times more likely to be on ADHD medication than girls with medication use highest in boys aged between 10 and 15.This reinforces a lot of professionals experience in the field.
Women who had only received the most basic education were 130 per cent more likely to have a child on ADHD medication than women with university degrees.This could be due to 'learnt helplessness' and negative 'mind set' about their ablity to effect change in their child.
Children were 54 per cent more likely to be on ADHD medication if they came from a single parent family rather than having both parents at home.this could be influenced by the pressures impacting on a single parent family.
Coming from a family on welfare benefits increased the risk of ADHD medication by 135 per cent when compared with households not claiming benefits and this could increase a families awareness of the benefits available e.g. DLA..
There were no statistically significant differences between the effects that socioeconomic factors had on boys or girls in the study.
When the researchers examined the total impact of the socioeconomic factors, they found that the impact was similar to that reported in twin studies.
“Our study showed that almost half of the cases could be explained by the socioeconomic factors included in our analysis, clearly demonstrating that these are potent predictors of ADHD-medication in Swedish schoolchildren” says Professor Hjern.
“There are several ways that family factors may influence ADHD. For example, low parental education is associated with general social disadvantage, a higher number of stress factors and a greater risk of childhood adversity.
“Lack of time and money are more common in single parent families, as are lack of social support and family conflict, including separation, divorce and parental absence.
“We believe that further research into ADHD should focus on the interaction between genes and environmental factors in order to determine the reasons why some children develop ADHD and how it could be prevented.”
Material adapted from Wiley-Blackwell by Christopher Fisher.
Reference
Social adversity predicts ADHD-medication in school children – a national cohort study. Hjern et al. Acta Paediatrica. 99, pp920-924. (June 2010).
These may be ONLY a part of a HOLISTIC 'ASSESSMENT OF NEED.'
Swedish experts teamed up to carry out what they believe is the first study of risk factors for ADHD in a national cohort of school children, based on 1.16 million children on the country’s Prescribed Drug Register.
“We identified 7,960 Swedish-born children, aged between six and 19, using a prescription for ADHD medication as our indicator of severe ADHD” explains lead author Professor Anders Hjern from the Centre for Health Equity Studies, a collaboration between the Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University.
“We then tracked their records through other registers, using the unique ten digit reference number all Swedish residents are given at birth, to determine a number of other factors.”
ADHD is a common, treatable childhood illness that can affect areas of the brain connected to problem solving, planning ahead, understanding others’ actions, and controlling impulses. The primary symptoms of the condition are hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention.
“Genes are also known to play an important role in the development of ADHD and studies of identical twins show that they are very likely to exhibit the same ADHD traits” says Professor Hjern, who carried out the study when he was based at the National Board of Health and Welfare.
Key findings of the Swedish study include:
Boys were three times more likely to be on ADHD medication than girls with medication use highest in boys aged between 10 and 15.This reinforces a lot of professionals experience in the field.
Women who had only received the most basic education were 130 per cent more likely to have a child on ADHD medication than women with university degrees.This could be due to 'learnt helplessness' and negative 'mind set' about their ablity to effect change in their child.
Children were 54 per cent more likely to be on ADHD medication if they came from a single parent family rather than having both parents at home.this could be influenced by the pressures impacting on a single parent family.
Coming from a family on welfare benefits increased the risk of ADHD medication by 135 per cent when compared with households not claiming benefits and this could increase a families awareness of the benefits available e.g. DLA..
There were no statistically significant differences between the effects that socioeconomic factors had on boys or girls in the study.
When the researchers examined the total impact of the socioeconomic factors, they found that the impact was similar to that reported in twin studies.
“Our study showed that almost half of the cases could be explained by the socioeconomic factors included in our analysis, clearly demonstrating that these are potent predictors of ADHD-medication in Swedish schoolchildren” says Professor Hjern.
“There are several ways that family factors may influence ADHD. For example, low parental education is associated with general social disadvantage, a higher number of stress factors and a greater risk of childhood adversity.
“Lack of time and money are more common in single parent families, as are lack of social support and family conflict, including separation, divorce and parental absence.
“We believe that further research into ADHD should focus on the interaction between genes and environmental factors in order to determine the reasons why some children develop ADHD and how it could be prevented.”
Material adapted from Wiley-Blackwell by Christopher Fisher.
Reference
Social adversity predicts ADHD-medication in school children – a national cohort study. Hjern et al. Acta Paediatrica. 99, pp920-924. (June 2010).
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