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Running head: ADHD 0

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Obinna Okwara

Southern New Hampshire University

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Issue

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; it is a brain disorder that is characterized by continuous inattention patterns and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity, which interferes with normal development and functioning of the human body.

Inattention- refers to a situation where a person drift off task, experience difficulties in focusing, lacks persistence, and is also disorganized. These characteristics are not as a result of defiance or absence of comprehension.
Hyperactivity refers to a situation where the person seems to roam constantly even in inappropriate situations. This may also refer to excessively talks, fidgets and taps. In adults, hyperactivity could be excess restlessness.
Impulsivity - refers to a situation where an individual makes hasty decisions that take place quickly without initial thought about them and that are possibly aimed at causing harm; demand for instant reward or incapability to holdup gratification (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016).

Persons Affected

ADHD is a non-discriminatory disorder that affects individuals of every IQ, gender, age, socio-economic status and religion, but it is common among children and teens and sometimes can extend to adulthood. As of 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (2011a), 11 % of children between the ages of -17 in the United States had been diagnosed with the disorder; where boys were diagnosed twice or thrice as much as girls. However, the number has changed over time and differs depending on the way in which it is measured. Approximately, 4.4% of the American adult population, aged 18-44 portrayed some disabilities and symptoms.

Data that Points Prevalence

The percentage of children that have ever been diagnosed with ADHD rose from seven percent to nine percent as from 1998-2000 crossing 2007-2009. The prevalence trends of the disorder differed by ethnicity and race. Variation between groups began to decrease from 1998 throughout 2009. However, children of the Mexican group portrayed lower prevalence of ADHD as compared to other ethnic and racial groups. As of 1998 throughout 2009, the prevalence of ADHD rose to ten percent to the children whose family income was less than a 100% of the level of poverty and eleven percent for children whose family income was between 100% and 199% of the level of poverty. As of 1998 across 2009, the prevalence of ADHD increased to ten percent in the South and Midwest regions in the US (CDC, 2011b).

Necessary Program

Prescribed medication – children diagnosed with the disorder should be put under medication as it helps in reducing impulsivity and hyperactivity. Medication also helps patients to improve their ability work, focus and learn (National Health Service, 2016).

Place patients under psychotherapy – psychotherapy will help victims and their families cope with daily problems.

Educate and training – patients should be given guidance by their families, parents, as well as, teachers in order for them to accomplish life desires. Training parents on parenting skill will help them reward and encourage their children suffering from the ADHD disorder, thus changing their behavior. Training parents of children with the disorder will also help them in adapting stress management techniques suitable for dealing with the behavior of the child.

Form Support Groups - Support groups for parents and families with children suffering from ADHD will enable them share successes and frustrations, thus exchanging information which will be helpful to both the victims and the families (MedilinePlus, 2017).

Resources Available for Providing the Program

In most healthcare facilities, medication for the mental disorders is available and experts in mental health prescribe them. However, people under this type of medication are close monitored by their prescribing doctors.

Support groups are a resource that is readily available because it only calls for someone to bring the families of children suffering from the disorder together. As they continue to share information and idea they continue to attract more people with similar concerns.

Unavailable Resources

Psychotherapy – most healthcare facilities lack counseling rooms, thus, most of the patients suffering from mental disorders and need to be placed under therapy find it hard to do so. Therapy enables parents, guidance and children suffering from ADHD disorder cope with their daily problems.

Education and Training – majority of mental health experts are not willing or available to educate and train guardians, teachers, and parents. Educating these people help them understand ways of dealing with children suffering from the disorder.

Lack of the identified program impact on the community

Owing to lack of a proper program that helps in dealing with challenges that come with ADHD disorder, the community is not able to deal with such people. Patients are likely to get discriminated by those that do not understand the disorder, engage into violence due to their hyperactive behavior, get involved into regular conflicts with members of the community.

How does lack of available resources exacerbate the Issue?

Lack of psychotherapy in healthcare facilities within the community makes it hard for patients to access the services. Some patients end up not seeking help which leads to sever cases of the disorder; where severe cases may lead to violence, conflicts and to some extent death, as patient’s behavior needs to be controlled and managed.

Lack of people to educate and train families and parents of children suffering from ADHD pose a challenge to both the parents and the patients. When parents are not aware of how to deal with patients they are likely to get into conflicts which is harmful to both parties.

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011b). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Children Aged 5–17 Years in the United States, 1998–2009. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db70.htm

MedilinePlus. (2017). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder.html

National Health Service. (2016). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Retrieved from http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx

National Institute of Mental Health. (2016). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml