Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder controversies

Common card · No. 358616

The nature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), its diagnosis, and its treatment have been controversial since the 1970s. Academic authors disagree as to the validity of ADHD as a defined disorder. The controversies also involve clinicians, teachers, policymakers, parents, and the media. Positions range from the view that ADHD is within the normal range of behavior to the hypothesis that ADHD is a genetic condition. Other areas of controversy include the use of stimulant medications in children, the method of diagnosis, and the possibility of overdiagnosis. In 2009, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, while acknowledging the controversy, stated that the current treatments and methods of diagnosis are based on the dominant view of the academic literature. With differing rates of diagnosis across countries, states within countries, races, and ethnicities, some suspect factors other than the presence of the symptoms of ADHD are playing a role in diagnosis...

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