Psychiatry

Research indicates that ADHD is under- and misdiagnosed, and undertreated in the Black community. The reasons behind this diagnostic disparity are complex. One explanation is that many Black children with ADHD are misdiagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, or other mental disorders. Possible explanations for these findings include unchecked biases among educators, school administrators,...

When compared to white Americans, Hispanic Americans are diagnosed with ADHD less frequently. When they are diagnosed with ADHD, they are often undertreated and unable to receive the care they need. This article shares two explanations for these disparities. First, the U.S. Hispanic population is generally less informed about ADHD than the U.S. white population....

As many schools have transitioned to mostly or entirely online classes during the pandemic, students with ADHD have been some of the hardest hit. Because these students have trouble controlling their impulses and staying focused, a change in environment to one with less structure can make learning less effective. Among parents of children with ADHD,...

In a 2020 JAMA Psychiatry study, researchers found that prevalence rates of ADHD in the United States were higher in the Black population than in the general population. The study also provides some insight into how ADHD is discussed and treated along racial lines. One notable point of contention is that although there are not many studies...

Understanding the consequences of uncontrolled ADHD is vital for parents, educators, and authority figures. In her article for the Atlanta Black Star, Nareissa Smith describes how the consequences of uncontrolled ADHD disproportionately impact Black youth, especially in the educational and professional settings.  Two explanations are provided for how ADHD is currently handled in the Black community....

Despite being a well-recognized form of neurodiversity, a plethora of misconceptions surrounds ADHD. With ADHD being associated with childhood and development, it is easy to gloss over the fact that children with ADHD often do not “grow out of” it as they transition to adulthood. Given that 5% of the general adult population has ADHD,...

The poster child for ADHD is a white kid, and usually a male one. However, this predominant image of ADHD exists not because white boys are more likely to have ADHD than other children. It exists because other children, especially children of color, are much less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. This diagnostic disparity...