ADHD Cases Skyrocket

Hey, it turns out all those kids who have Adderall may need it after all. The number of kids diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose 24 percent between 2001 and 2010, according to a wide-reaching study published Monday. About 5 percent of the 843,000 children with ADHD were diagnosed during that period. Rates rose the most in minority children, with 70 percent more black children being diagnosed with ADHD—and 90 percent more black girls—than when the study began. White children still constitute the highest number of cases, and three quarters of those diagnosed came from families in which parents had an income of $50,000 or more. Conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Institute, the study differs from previous ones in that it offered a comprehensive look at medical records, rather than relying on reports from parents and schools.