Millions of children worldwide suffer from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a chronic mental health condition that frequently persists into adulthood. A variety of ongoing issues, including trouble maintaining focus or attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive actions, are included in ADHD. Children with ADHD may also have low self-esteem, difficult relationships, and poor academic achievement.
Two categories of behavioral issues can be used to group the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD):
1. Inattentiveness:
- Difficulty concentrating and focusing.
- Difficulty following instructions
- Difficulty in organization
- Loses things easily.
- Easily distracted
- Forgetfulness
2. Impulsivity and hyperactivity:
- Fidgeting
- Difficulty sitting in one place for a long duration
- Always on the go
- Talkativeness
- Difficulty waiting for their turns
- Interrupts others
3. Combined type:
Having features of both inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity. While this is not always the case, many individuals with ADHD struggle with issues that fit into both of these categories.
Risk Factors
- Biological family members with ADHD or another mental health condition like a parent or sibling
- Environmental factors
- Pregnant mothers who use drugs, drink, or smoke
- Preterm birth
The age of onset of symptoms of ADHD typically ranges from the ages of three to six and they can persist throughout adolescence and adulthood. In children whose primary symptoms are inattention, signs of ADHD might be misdiagnosed as emotional or behavioural issues, or they can be completely overlooked, resulting in delayed treatment. It is possible for adults who do not have a diagnosis of ADHD to have a history of difficult or unsuccessful relationships, difficulties at work, or poor academic achievement.
