ADHD in adolescent males and its effect on the Family Structure There has been a vast amount of research done on the affects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD on adolescent males. The primary focus of this paper will study adolescent males with ADHD and how it affects their family structures. This paper will examine the articles, Prevalence of attention deficit-/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disorders in young male prison inmates, Parental efficacy and child behavior in a community sample of children with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and lastly Family Interactions in Children With and Without ADHD. This subject is extremely relevant to professionals because according to the article Parental efficacy and child behavior in a community sample of children with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD it is extremely common in today’s society and most individuals know someone that is affected by this disorder. (Tripp, Schaughency, Langlands & Mouat, 2006) To begin, there is an article titled Prevalence of attention deficit-/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disorders in young male prison inmates that was written by Michael Rösler , Wolfgang Retz, Petra Retz-Junginger, Georges Hengesch, Marc Schneider, Tilman Supprian, Petra Schwitzgebel, Katrin Pinhard, Nadine Dovi-Akue, Paul Wender and Johannes Thome. These men and women conducted a study to evaluate the prevalence of ADHD as well as comorbid conditions among young male prison inmates. They investigated 129 prison inmates and 54 healthy male control subjects for the presence of ADHD using the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), the Eysenck Impulsivity Questionnaire (EIQ), and the diagnostic criter... ... middle of paper ... ...dren with ADHD, with and without comorbid disruptive behavior disorders, were non significant, although increased symptomology was associated with reduced warmth and engagement during problem solving. Compared to the control group the ADHD group included more single-parent families, had a lower socioeconomic status, and higher levels of parenting stress. Students without ADHD were regarded as more engaged, warmer, and displaying better communication than those of children with ADHD. The research for the child generated problem suggests families of children with ADHD and a comorbid disorder behavior disorder may reach poorer solutions than those with ADHD only. In summation, ADHD does seem to cause stress on a family unit and with the increased risk of comorbid disorders, the likelihood of additional stressors on the parent to child relationship is extremely likely.
Other biological factors can include functional abnormalities in frontal brain regions, which are connected to executive functions, attention, and inhibition of responses. However, it is not known in the case study about Matt whether or not this was affecting his ADHD. Psychologically speaking, Matt had trouble staying focus on one subject and often got bored with whatever he was doing at the moment, which made it difficult to play with peers who were not as active. Issues with peers due to ADHD are also a social dimension and could cause problems for Matt’s interfering with peers. Looking at the multipath model from a sociocultural aspect, Matt is from a family with four other siblings and two parents to take care of all of those children. Having five children led Matt’s parents into a stressful family atmosphere where Matt’s hyperactive behavior was not noticed because there was a lot to look out for. Overlooking ADHD is common in children due to the fact that many children have a lot of energy and have a need to be entertained at all times.
When dealing with adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD may become a challenge for many parents. Knowing the facts about this disorder and how to treat the problem is the key to a healthy lifestyle for adolescents as well as families. Many therapies and medications are available to families with children with ADHD but many questions that parents have with their children with ADHD is which therapy is best and what would work best with their children and their quality of life. The question of which therapy, alternative versus medication therapy would improve adolescent’s quality of life and behavior modification.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is one of the most common mental disorders among children. (Elia, Ambrosini, Rapoport, 1999) It affects 3 to 5 percent of all children, with approximately 60% to 80% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood, causing a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain. There are two types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an inattentive type and a combined type. The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This behaviour stops ADHD sufferers from focussing deliberately on organising and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy, learning new skills or information is proved to be impossible. An example of such behaviour is recognised by the report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behaviour. Such behaviour can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem. (National Institute of Mental Health 1999) There are also secondary symptoms which are associated with ADHD, such as learning disorders, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, tic disorders, and conduct disorders. (Spencer, Biederman, and Wilens 1999 in Monastra V, Monastra D, George, 2002)
Higher levels of stress and psychosocial adversity in children with ADHD and co morbid anxiety or mood disorders than in children with ADHD alone.
behavioral outcomes of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Volume 50, Issue April 2008, Pages 347-350. doi: 10.1080/00131880802499803.
Theory suggests that ADHD is caused by a neurological and chemical deficiency that affects the development of the central nervous system. It is believed that this lack of development directly affects the part of the brain responsible for concentration. ADHD is also believed to be partly due to genetic inheritance. A large majority of individuals afflicted with this disorder will also have a relative who has ADHD.
Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD, is the most common psychiatric condition effecting 9.5% of school-aged children in the United States (intuniv, 2013). If the disorder goes untreated, it will cause more long-term side effects and difficulties for the individual as an adult. Adults who have this condition face several adversities in every day life, such as impulsive behavior, low self-esteem and poor work performance. People are not aware of the complications that come with ADHD in adults. Not knowing the symptoms of the disease can cause people to not be sympathetic when they are interacting with someone with disorder.
While the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association) put forth a list of behaviors which predominantly fall in the category of ADD and/or ADHD, many researchers still maintain that there is no set way to diagnosis or develop a treatment program to these disorders which will be guaranteed to work. At the same time there is another set of researchers who maintain that these disorders actually do not exist at all. However, in the real world, parents and educators still continue to struggle with the task of coping with children who are hyperactive and who have very low attention span and whose behavior often interferes with schooling and family life. [Armstrong, 1997]
According to a variety of clinical studies appearing in various peer-reviewed journals, only 8% of children and 5% of adults have ADHD, but 21 to 45% of all criminals in US prison have ADHD (Quily.) One of the most prevalent mental conditions in children, ADHD is also one of the fastest growing mental health problems for school-age populations (Wolfe.) Its occurrence appears to be anywhere between 2 to 10% of children in school, and corresponds to 7.4% of parents with children ages 3-17 indicating that they have been notified that their child has this condition. As a result, treatment numbers for ADHD have dramatically increased over the last few decades; ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls although there are no discernible disparities in diagnosis by race. A great deal of research has focused on short-term consequences of this condition on school-age children, including an increased...
...th this disorder can leave a child suffering psychologically. With all the anguish that comes with ADHD, the child can grow up and live with this torture all his/her life. They will feel stupid and worthless and often times never grow out of the fierce effects that ADHD puts on young children. They often go through psychological counseling and treatment for depression.
The purpose of this research was to describe and understand Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the most effective treatment options that are available today. ADHD is a mental health disorder that affects 3-9% of the population in ways that, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the mind of the sufferer. It makes concentration difficult, large tasks seem insurmountable, and causes impulsive and hyperactive tendencies. Fortunately, research and experiments have led to new and effective treatments to help those who suffer from this disorder (Dupaul 8). This research examined journal articles and internet sources on the topic to help unlock the complexities of the disorder through scientific research. It also was a way to separate the myths of the disorder from the truths, while discovering the causes, diagnosis methods, and best treatment alternatives to battle this prevalent disorder.
After reading the articles Driven to Distraction and Lost in Translation, both from Today’s Parent magazine, I have learned many new things. I learned that it is sometimes not very easy to pick out a child with ADHD, even if it is your own child. It could take years to discover that a child has ADHD. It can be easily detected once the child has entered elementary school. One of the signs of ADHD is falling behind in school, or acting up and not being able to pay attention for long periods of time. This causes frustration for the child, the parents, teachers and the other students in the classroom. It is difficult for parents because they do not want to believe that their child has a disability. It is even harder for the child because they are the ones that have to deal with the name calling, being held back a grade or two and just knowing that they are different. The issue of being different for a child living with ADHD is very stressful and could make the child not want to learn new things or pay attention in school. They just give up on trying to learn.
Mood and anxiety disorders comorbidity can be as high as 30% has been associated with social and academic failures, addition to low self-esteem and depression. Comorbidity with conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and antisocial behavior has been associated defiance, aggression and legal problem. Not all adults exhibit substance use, there is a small amount about 12% with increased prevalence substance abuse. Research indicates comorbidity with an intellectually disabled individual has shown poor adaptive functioning, attention difficulties and lower intellectual intelligence, (Stern, et al. 2002). Childhood behavior are more easily observed than adult because children are normally in a structured environment. There are two of adults with ADHD ones that were originally diagnosed as children and those were never diagnosed. Adult were never diagnosed are “likely to include females or inattentive subtypes (children), because they were less likely to have been disruptive during their childhood” (Wasserstein,
Family plays an integral role in boys suffering from ADHD symptoms as parents; we pave the way for our children to follow emotionally and physically. Parents have control over many aspects of their children’s lives and are able to be a positive influence to them. There is a lot parents and family can do to manage and reduce the daily challenge and symptoms of ADHD. The earlier the disorder is diagnosed, the easier it will be able to manage and there is a better chance for your child to be successful in life. Family support is one of the best ways to address the challenges of ADHD and the greatest ways to achieve this is families exercising patience, common sense and a positive attitude. when these positive qualities are used dealing with a child with ADHD it is more likely for parents to communicate more thoughtfully and effectively, which in turn help these boys to be calm , focus and better able to relate and understand what is being convey to them. According to Lange, “social system that contains members who are supportive and who encourage adaptive coping probably help youngsters, vulnerable to ADHD disorder to learn skills required to tolerate exposures to major life
Researchers in this study decided to focus on families affected by ADHD for several reasons. The first reason is the prevalence of ADHD, for “ADHD in the general population is approximately 3% to 8%” (Lench, Levine, & Whalen, 141). Additionally, parents who report ADHD symptoms a...