Module 3: Assessment
Lesson 4
Epidemiology of ADHD
The worldwide prevalence of ADHD is 5.3% (Polanczyk et al., 2007).
In Canada, ADHD affects about 5% of the school-age population (Statistics Canada, 2015).
In the 2006/07 Canadian National Population Health Survey on children aged 3 to 9 years found the following:
- Percent of children using ADHD medication who have a diagnosis of ADHD in 2007:
- 76.3% of all children in the sample
- 43.7% of preschoolers
- 78.0% of school-age
- 75.7% of boys
- 78.4% of girls
- Many individuals diagnosed with ADHD have co-occurring conditions:
- 50-90% of children with ADHD have at least one comorbid condition;
- Approximately half of all children diagnosed with ADHD have at least two comorbidities;
- 85% per cent of adults diagnosed with ADHD meet criteria for a comorbid condition.
References:
- Brault, M. C., & Lacourse, E. (2012). Prevalence of prescribed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medications and diagnosis among Canadian preschoolers and school-age children: 1994–2007. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 57(2), 93–101. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371205700206.
- Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA). (2011). CADDRA: Canadian ADHD Practice Guidelines (3rd ed.). Toronto, ON: CADDRA.
- Polanczyk, G., de Lima, M. S., Horta, B. L., Biederman, J., & Rohde, L. A. (2007). The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: a systematic review and metaregression analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 942–948. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.164.6.942
- Statistics Canada. (2015). Part 1 – Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-619-m/2012004/sections/sectionc-eng.htm
