The Role Of ADHD In Adolescents

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The United States is experiencing a consuming epidemic in which American children are subject to stimulant medication in order to counteract an infamous and widely abused diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by doctors, for teachers, and at the discretion of a parent. The percent of children, ages 4-17 years old, diagnosed with ADHD rose from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007, and finally to 11.0% in 2011-2012, (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, 2018). In total, “the prevalence of ADHD increased 42% from 2003 to 2011 [and even more if one were to count 2012], with increases in nearly all demographic groups in the United States regardless of race, sex, and socioeconomic status,” (Manos, 2017). Furthermore, for every 10 school-aged children in the U.S., more than 1 of them meet the requirements for an ADHD diagnosis, and among adolescents, 1 in 5 high school males and 1 in 11 high school females fit the diagnosis, (Manos, 2017). This steady increase is alarming, but even more bothersome in young children, whose percentage of ADHD increased by over 50% from 2007-2008 to 2011-2012, (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, 2018).

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