This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.
Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.
Full Title: Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
October 1999
View or download Technical Review
Clinical Focus*
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) sponsored the development of this technical review to summarize current scientific evidence from the literature on the prevalence of ADHD and on the value of various evaluation methods. The following questions provided a framework for the analysis:
- What percentage of the U.S. general population ages 6 to 12 years has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Of those with ADHD, what percentage has one or more of the following comorbidities: learning disabilities, depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder?
- What percentage of children ages 6 to 12 years presenting at pediatricians' or family physicians' offices in the United States meets diagnostic criteria for ADHD? Of those with ADHD, what percentage has one or more of the following comorbidities: learning disabilities, depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder?
- What is the accuracy (i.e., sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value) and reliability (i.e., inter/intra-rater agreement) of behavioral rating screening tests for ADHD compared with a reference standard?
- What is the prevalence of abnormal findings on selected medical screening tests commonly recommended as standard components of an evaluation of a child with suspected ADHD?
*Addressed in the summary or review.
Download Technical Review
Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Topic Nominator: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Current as of October 1999
540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850