Do you know someone who cannot sit still, who moves constantly, who cannot sit for more than a few minutes, or who is excessively noisy? Perhaps this person also finds it difficult to complete tasks, watch a movie from beginning to end, or sit quietly and read a novel (Lopez, n.d.). Also, people around him or her may describe him or her as someone who is absent in conversations or does not listen. Unfortunately, according to Lopez (n.d.), these people are generally considered inappropriate and untimely, but in reality, they suffer from defects in brain maturation.
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common neuropsychobiological disease in childhood and plays an important role in adult psychopathology (Rodriguez, 2015). According to the American Psychiatric Association (2014), the core feature of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.
In the first instance, inattention manifests as task deviations, lack of persistence, difficulty sustaining attention, and disorganization, which is neither due to challenge nor lack of understanding (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). Secondly, hyperactivity refers to excessive motor activity at inappropriate times. In adults, it can manifest as extreme restlessness and a level of activity that tires others. Finally, according to the American Psychiatric Association (2014), impulsivity refers to rash actions that present a high risk of harm to the individual.
In the same vein, according to Rodriguez et al (2015), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is an alteration in executive functions, a term that includes many skills, such as attention, memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, among others, necessary to perform basic tasks in daily work, verbigracia, attend, plan and organize different steps to achieve goals and reflect on them.
Finally, INTEF (2014) considers that this is an evolving syndrome, since, in most cases, impulsivity and inattention are still present in adulthood, and hyperactivity becomes subjective, translating into a more or less intense feeling of restlessness. Therefore, it interferes with social development and can cause psychological problems throughout the life cycle (Rodriguez et al, 2015). In other words, according to Quintero & Castaño de la Mota (2014), this disorder is characterized by a pattern of behavior and cognitive functioning, which, when present in different scenarios of the patient's life, causes difficulties in cognitive, educational and occupational functions.
Epidemiology
The incidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is currently a controversial topic (Velez & Vidarte, 2012). Most population surveys suggest that ADHD occurs in about 5% of children and 2.5% of adults (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). However, the latest review conducted by several working groups, shows that the overall prevalence rate is between 5% and 10% (Quintero & Castaño de la Mota, 2014), and according to Rodríguez et al (2015), there are variable prevalences ranging from 2% to 15%. In accordance with Vélez & Vidarte (2012), different epidemiological studies show that this variability is due to different factors, such as, for example, age, subtype and gender.
In this sense, the incidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder of the hyperactive - impulsive type in boys, is four times higher than in girls (4:1), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with predominance in inattention is 2:1 (Vélez & Vidarte, 2012). Likewise, both subtypes are more common between 8 and 10 years of age. In the same vein, according to Vélez & Vidarte (2012), inattentive behavior is uncommon before school age and gradually increases as children enter elementary school.
ADHD and Gender
Overall, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is more common in boys than girls in the general population, with a ratio of approximately 2:1 in boys (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). However, in correspondence with Lopez (n.d.), after adulthood, the ratio of males to females with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder becomes more equal, with a male to female ratio of 1.6:1.
On the other hand, in boys, hyperactivity symptoms are more common between the ages of 6 and 12, while in preschool and elementary school, both symptoms are rare in girls (Vélez & Vidarte, 2012). Corresponding with Quintero & Castaño de la Mota (2014), the burden of stereotypes explains the difference in prevalence in relation to gender, since, it seems that girls tend to show less dysfunction related to inattention and less relevance in terms of behavioral, since, they often go unnoticed, however, they present more anxiety disorders.
In other words, according to López (n.d.), the reason for this difference is that girls' cases are more likely to go unnoticed, since inattention predominates in girls and they do not usually have the behavioral problems that attract attention at school.
References
Asociación Americana de Psiquiatría. (2014). Guía de consulta de los criterios diagnósticos del DSM - 5. Eafit.edu.co. Recuperado 24 June 2021, a partir de https://www.eafit.edu.co/ninos/reddelaspreguntas/Documents/dsm-v-guia-consulta-manual-diagnostico-estadistico-trastornos-mentales.pdf
INTEF. (2014). Respuesta Educativa Para el Alumnado con TDAH (Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad). Obtenido 1 Octubre 2020, de http://formacion.intef.es/pluginfile.php/111001/mod_resource/content/3/Bloque%201.%20Qué%20es%20el%20TDAH.pdf
López, D. Qué es el TDAH. Obtenido 1 Octubre 2020, de https://www.menteamente.com/que-es-tdah
Quintero, J., & Castaño de la Mota, C. (2014). Introducción y etiopatogenia del trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH). Obtenido 1 Octubre 2020, de https://www.pediatriaintegral.es/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Pediatr%C3%ADa-Integral-XVIII-9.pdf#page=12
Rodríguez, P., González, I., & Manuel, A. (2015). El trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad. Obtenido 1 Octubre 2020, de https://www.pediatriaintegral.es/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Pediatria-Integral-XIX-8_WEB.pdf#page=25
Vélez, C., & Vidarte, J. (2012). Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH), una Problemática de Primera Infancia en Colombia. Obtenido 1 Octubre 2020, de http://www.scielo.org.co/pdf/rsap/v14s2/v14s2a10.pdf
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