ADHD or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder – colloquially known as fidget syndrome – (synonyms: ADHD; Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); attention deficit; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); attention deficit disorder; attention deficit disorder (ADD); attention deficit syndrome; HKS; hyperactivity disorder; hyperactivity syndrome; hyperkinetic disorder (HKS); MCD; minimal cerebral dysfunction (MCD); minimal cerebral dysfunction; psychoorganic syndrome (POS); ICD-10-GM F90. 0: Simple activity and attention disorder), is used to describe a group of behavioral disorders characterized primarily by inattention, motor restlessness, and impulsivity. In 80% of those affected, another disorder is also present.
ADHD is the most common cause of behavioral disorders and performance problems at school.
Sex ratio: boys to girls is between 3: 1 and 9: 1…. In adulthood, this sex ratio is not observed in this pronounced form.
Frequency peak: ADHD occurs mostly in children, but may persist in adulthood in one-third of affected children. The disorder usually appears before the age of 6.
The prevalence (disease incidence) in the 4- to 17-year-old age group is 2-7% (depending on the study). In the adult population, the prevalence is 1-2.5-4% (in Germany), making it a common neural developmental disorder. Internationally, the prevalence is 9.2% for boys and 2.9% for girls.
Course and prognosis: In addition to problems at school, those affected also have difficulties in family life and in making social contacts. After a thorough diagnosis, an individual support and therapy program is created for the child and his or her family. In young adulthood, according to a long-term study, 23% of patients still completely fulfilled the criteria for ADHD, mostly of the inattentive type. If ADHD persists into adulthood, hyperactivity and impulsivity usually decrease more markedly than the concentration disorder. ADHD can also be completely cured. Note: ADHD therapy should be based on the severity of the disorder (see “Classification” below).
Comorbidities (concomitant disorders): Children are four times more likely to suffer from chronic tic disorder (CTD) at the age of seven and six times more likely at the age of ten than children without ADHD. CTD occurred in the form of chronic motor or chronic vocal tic disorder or Tourette’s syndrome.Other co-existing disorders include: Anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and from adolescence on, substance use disorders and personality disorders.Adults showed a psychiatric morbidity of 66.2% at the time of ADHD diagnosis. The most common comorbidity was addictive disorder (39.2%), followed by anxiety disorders (23%) and affective disorders (18.1%).
