Antisocial Personality Disord... : Risk Factors

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsive behaviors, and the inability to remain focused on tasks or activities.

ADHD is a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or a combination. For these problems to be diagnosed as ADHD, they must be out of the normal range for the child's age and development.

Detailed information on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

Disorder characterized by attentional deficit and/or hyperactivity — impulsivity more severe than expected for a developmental age. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which affects 3-5% of school-age children in the United States, refers to a combination of excessive motor restlessness, difficulty in controlling or maintaining attention to relevant events, and impulsive responding that is not adaptive. For some children hyperactivity is the primary feature of their ADHD diagnosis. These children may be unable to sit quietly in class. They may fidget in their chairs, sharpen their pencils multiple times, flip the corners of the pages back and forth, or talk to a neighbor. On the way up to the teacher's desk they may take several detours. Most children with ADHD have both attentional and hyperactivity-impulsivity components, and so they may experience difficulties regulating both attention and activity. Although many children who do not have ADHD seem periodically inattentive or highly active, children with ADHD experience these difficulties more severely than others at their same developmental level. Moreover, these difficulties interfere with age-appropriate behavioral expectations across settings such as home, playground, and school. Psychologists have not always used the label ADHD to describe this constellation of behaviors. In the 1950s and 60s, children exhibiting these symptoms were either diagnosed as minimally brain damaged or labelled as behavior problems. The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), which is used to classify psychiatric disorders, describes ADHD as a pattern of inattention and/or impulsivity-hyperactivity more severe than expected for the child's developmental level. The symptoms must be present before age seven, although diagnosis is frequently made only following interference with school activities. Symptoms must be present in at least two settings, and there must be clear evidence of interference with academic, social, or occupational functioning. Finally, the symptoms must not be due to other neuropsychiatric disorders such as pervasive developmental disorder, schizophrenia or other psychoses, or anxiety disorder or other neuroses. Inattention may be evident in (a) failing to attend closely to tasks or making careless errors, (b) having difficulty in persisting with tasks until they are completed, (c) appearing not to be listening, (d) frequently shifting tasks or activities, (e) appearing disorganized, (f) avoiding activities that require close or sustained attention, (g) losing or damaging items by not handling them with sufficient care, (h) being distracted by background noises or events, or (i) being forgetful in daily activities. According to the DSM-IV, six or more of these symptoms must persist for six months or more for a diagnosis of ADHD with inattention as a major component. Hyperactivity may be seen as (a) fidgety behavior or difficulty sitting still, (b) excessive running or climbing when not appropriate, (c) not remaining seated when asked to, (d) having difficulty enjoying quiet activities, (e) appearing to be "constantly on the go," or (f) excessive talking. Impulsivity may be related to hyperactive behavior and may be manifest as (a) impatience or blurting out answers before the question has been finished, (b) difficulty in waiting for one's turn, and (c) frequent interruptions or intrusions. Impulsive children frequently talk out of turn or ask questions seemingly "out of the blue." Their impulsivity may also lead to accidents or engaging in high risk behavior without consideration of the consequences. According to the DSM-IV, six or more of these symptoms must persist for six months or more for a diagnosis of ADHD with hyperactivity-impulsivity as a major component. The DSM-IV recognizes subtypes of ADHD. The most prevalent type is the Combined Type in which individuals show at least six of the symptoms of inattention as well as of h

Detailed information on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

Detailed information on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

Detailed information on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

Detailed information on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

If left untreated, ADHD can wreak havoc on a child’s life. Children who are inattentive seem unable to focus on anything for long. Schoolwork is often hard for them, and the results are usually incomplete or sloppy.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a behavioral disorder, characterized by poor attention, inability to focus on specific tasks, and excessive activity. ADHD is thought to have a strong genetic component, although studies are still ongoing to determine what role specific genes play in ADHD.

Parents of kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face a tough choice: whether to medicate their children or not.

ADHD is a condition of the brain that makes it difficult for children to control their behavior. It is one of the most common conditions of childhood, affecting 6 to 9 percent of all school-age children. Boys are three times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ADHD.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) is a neurobiological disorder characterized by hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, and the inability to remain focused on tasks or activities.

Children who have ADHD are often given medication as part of their treatment plan. The type of medication most often chosen is a psychostimulant.

ADHD is no longer just a children's disease. Many adults are being diagnosed and treated for the condition. How ADHD is identified, diagnosed, and treated.

Review the American Academy of Pediatricians checklist of symptoms for ADHD. Remember that all children act this way once in a while. A child with ADHD acts this way most of the time.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological disorder that presents in various forms, with no two ADHD disorders having exactly the same characteristics. ADHD is classified as a disruptive behavior disorder characterized by ongoing difficulty with attention span, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. These difficulties occur more frequently and severely than is typical for individuals in the same stage of development.

Researchers found that less than half of a group of children who had symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had been definitively diagnosed with the condition, and fewer were receiving treatment.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsive behaviors, and the inability to remain focused on tasks or activities.

Are children with ADD more likely to be depressed? Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsive behaviors, and the inability to remain focused on tasks or activities.

Evidence is emerging that attention deficit disorder may be a genetic brain malfunction. A review of recent clinical research and recommendations for the disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not a clinically definable illness or disease. Rather, as of December 2003, ADHD is a diagnosis that is made for children and adults who display certain behaviors over an extended period of time. The most common of these behavioral criteria are inattention, hyperactivity, and marked impulsiveness. In the American description, there are three types of ADHD, depending on which diagnostic criteria have been met. These are: ADHD that is characterized by inattention, ADHD characterized by impulsive behavior, and ADHD that has both behaviors. The European description of ADHD places the disorder in a subgroup of what are termed hyperkinetic disorders (hallmarks are inattention and over-activity).

Studies examine on the potential risks of ADHD medications: cardiac problems (for both children and adults), growth suppression, and abuse of the drugs.

ADHD has become the most common mental health issue in preschool children. Some study has been done on giving medication to preschoolers with ADHD, but training parents to change their responses to their child's behavior is believed to be more effective.

A long-term study on the efficacy of psychosocial treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Treating Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in AdultsAttention deficit disorder (ADD) begins in childhood. It may continue throughout your life.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in AdultsYou’ve always had trouble concentrating. Your mind wanders, and it’s hard to finish tasks.

ADD can have a significant social impact on a person's life, affecting relationships in the family and on the job.

Antisocial behaviors are disruptive acts characterized by covert and overt hostility and intentional aggression toward others. Antisocial behaviors exist along a severity continuum and include repeated violations of social rules, defiance of authority and of the rights of others, deceitfulness, theft, and reckless disregard for self and others. Antisocial behavior can be identified in children as young as three or four years of age. If left unchecked these coercive behavior patterns will persist and escalate in severity over time, becoming a chronic behavioral disorder.

A pattern of behavior that is verbally or physically harmful to other people, animals, or property, including behavior that severely violates social expectations for a particular environment. Antisocial behavior can be broken down into two components: the presence of antisocial (i.e., angry, aggressive, or disobedient) behavior and the absence of prosocial (i.e., communicative, affirming, or cooperative) behavior. Most children exhibit some antisocial behavior during their development, and different children demonstrate varying levels of prosocial and antisocial behavior. Some children may exhibit high levels of both antisocial and prosocial behaviors; for example, the popular but rebellious child. Some, however, may exhibit low levels of both types of behaviors; for example, the withdrawn, thoughtful child. High levels of antisocial behavior are considered a clinical disorder. Young children may exhibit hostility towards authority, and be diagnosed with oppositional-defiant disorder. Older children may lie, steal, or engage in violent behaviors, and be diagnosed with conduct disorder. Mental health professionals agree, and rising rates of serious school disciplinary problems, delinquency, and violent crime indicate, that antisocial behavior in general is increasing. Thirty to 70% of childhood psychiatric admissons are for disruptive behavior disorders, and diagnoses of behavior disorders are increasing overall. A small percentage of antisocial children grow up to become adults with antisocial personality disorder, and a greater proportion suffer from the social, academic, and occupational failures resulting from their antisocial behavior.

Child abuse is the blanket term for four types of child mistreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.

Child abuse can happen in any family and in any neighborhood. Studies have shown that child abuse crosses all boundaries of income, race, ethnic heritage and religious faith.

Early trauma and child abuse are strongly linked to heart disease in later life, even when more familiar risks like smoking and lack of exercise are accounted for.

Child abuse is a blanket term for four types of child mistreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. In many cases children are the victims of more than one type of abuse. The abusers can be parents or other family members, caretakers such as teachers and babysitters, acquaintances (including other children), and (in rare instances) strangers.

Child abuse is the blanket term for four types of child mistreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. In many cases children are the victims of more than one type of abuse. The abusers can be parents or other family members, caretakers such as teachers and babysitters, acquaintances (including other children), and (in rare instances) strangers.