Attention deficit disorder on the rise in girls

Maclean's Magazine, Karen Richardson, December 23, 2003

The number of girls being diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has "strikingly increased," according to U.S. research.

ADHD is a common childhood behavioural disorder that can persist into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble functioning at home and in school because they are unable to focus, are impulsive or are easily distracted.

From 1990 to 2000, the rates of ADHD diagnosis and treatment increased significantly among children ages five through 18 years, according to researchers from Washington State University in Spokane.

"Although the number and rate of office-based visits (to doctors) among boys documenting a diagnosis of ADHD still far exceeds that of girls, the magnitude of the increase was greater among girls during this time period, and contributed significantly to the overall upward trend," says Linda Robison, a researcher with the university's college of pharmacy.

Greater awareness among doctors and the public may also have contributed to the upward trend.

The researchers examined data from the U.S. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, which included the number of office-based doctor visits resulting in a diagnosis of ADHD.

The estimated number of visits increased to more than five million in 2000, from less than one million in 1990.

"In girls the visits increased to nearly 40 per 1,000 by the year 2000, compared to 12 per 1,000 girls in 1990, which is very striking," Robison says.

There was also a fourfold increase in the prescribing of stimulants such as Ritalin (methylphenidate) to treat ADHD in girls -- to 29 from 7.5 per 1,000.

"Boys are being diagnosed much more often than girls, but you can see the rate for girls is increasing."