Although people think of ADHD as a new disorder, it has been around for a long time. In this episode, we'll share an overview of the history of ADHD, and Dr. Kenny will give you a resource which will show you the history of ADHD over time.
The Best Compliment I Could Get About This Podcast:
Now that we are on the 18th episode of this podcast, I'm starting to get ‘into the groove', and I hope you're getting used to listening to it, sharing it, and benefiting from it. I have loved receiving feedback about the podcast, through emails in, comments on the blog posts, as well as reviews in iTunes (which you can do at www.drkenny.com/itunes).
I got the best compliment for this podcast yesterday. In my office, while seeing a girl with ADHD and her mom, as we got toward the end of the appointment, the mother took out a notebook, and asked if she could ask me a question. “Of course,” was my answer.
She then referred to her notes and said that in episode 16 of the podcast, I talked about how it's important to know how severe your child's ADD/ADHD is, as it can help to understand treatment and the impact of the disorder. We then discussed the difference between mild, moderate and severe ADHD, and how this related to her daughter.
This was the best compliment I've received from my podcast, because this mother was using the information she had learned to help in the care of her daughter.
Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is great. But when you use your knowledge, that's when great things can happen. So, I encourage you to follow this mother's example – take what you learn on this podcast, and use it. Try some of the strategies, ask your doctor questions, and then let us know how it goes.
Have you used something you learned on this podcast? Has it helped?
Please share your answer in the comments section below.
The History of ADHD:
Although many people believe that ADHD is a product of modern society, it has in fact been described for a long time. The earliest references to descriptions of ADHD in history include:
- Sir George Still did lectures on ADHD in 1902, describing children with defects of moral control
- Fidgety Phil: A story by Dr. Heinrich Hoffman, Germany 1854
- “Mental Restlessness”: Dr. Alexander Crichton 1798
- “Attention Disorders”: Melchior Adam Weikard, Germany 1775
Although the diagnostic criteria used in the DSM are somewhat different than what was described in 1775, people generally agree that the description in Dr. Weikard's writing is the same as that of the ADHD we describe now.
For our modern view of ADHD, we turn to the DSM – the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The criteria used to diagnose ADHD have changed over time. Here's a listing of the names used for ADHD over the different DSM manuals:
- DSM-I: Minimal Brain Dysfunction
- DSM-II: Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood
- DSM-III: ADD with or without hyperactivity
- DSM-III-R: ADHD or undifferentiated ADD
- DSM-IV: ADHD Inattentive type, ADHD Hyperactive Impulsive Type or ADHD Combined type
The DSM-V is coming in May 2013. We'll need to wait and see how the diagnostic criteria change, and we'll have to see if the name of the disorder changes as well. I certainly hope that the name doesn't change, as this can be confusing and problematic for the field.
The History of Medication For ADHD
Although many people think that medications for ADHD are new, and a product of the late 20th century, the fact is that the first medication for ADHD was approved by the FDA in 1936. It was Benzedrine.
Ritalin was first approved by the FDA in 1955. This medication was the main treatment for ADHD for so long, that when you ask anyone about medication for ADHD, of course, they first think of Ritalin.
While there were some developments in medication, the major changes came in the late 1990's and early 2000's with the newer generation of long acting stimulant medications. These medicines used newer technology so that one wouldn't have to take a pill twice or three times daily (i.e. no need for a student to go to the office at lunch time to get a pill). And while it was initially thought that these newer medicines were just more convenient, it has been shown that they actually work better for people with ADHD than the short acting medication.
The newer medications include: Concerta, Ritalin LA, Metadate CD, Adderall XR, Focalin XR, Daytrana, Vyvanse, Strattera, Intuniv.
While most of these medications are stimulant medicines, the last two – Strattera and Intuniv are FDA approved ADHD medications which are non-stimulants. These work slightly differently than the stimulants, but can also be quite effective.
The History of the Prevalence ADHD Diagnosis:
When looking at the prevalence rate of ADHD (i.e. what percentage of people have ADHD when the researchers have looked at it), the rate has steadily climbed. We discussed this in the last podcast episode (episode 17 – ADHD Diagnosis Increasing). While it's not clear of the reason, it is possible and likely that we are just getting better at recognizing those who have ADHD. It is less likely that we are talking about the actual rate of ADHD increasing.
Some of the factors which may contribute to this include:
- Different definitions of the condition, which as they evolve, make it more clear as to what is going on, so it is easier to diagnose people who have ADHD
- More education of the public about the condition
- More educatino of doctors about the condition
- More treatments available – so this creates marketing and more awareness
ADHD History Infographic
To help you to visualize this topic even more, take a look at this infographic which displays the history of ADHD. (click the graphic for a bigger PDF version of this).
This graphic was developed by the CDC to share data about ADHD. As you can see in this infographic, it shows a timeline for ADHD. On the bottom of the graphic, you can see the history of the diagnosis of ADHD. You can also see the different medications which have been approved to treat ADHD. In the top right of the graphic, you can see the history of studies and surveys that demonstrate the gradually rising rate of the diagnosis of ADHD.
Download a copy of this graphic. Share it with others. Ask me any questions in the comments below – and I'll answer them as best as I can.
On this podcast episode, I wanted to give you more background on the history of ADHD, and share enough information that this infographic would make sense to you, and be helpful for you.
Please share any thoughts or comments below.
p.s. please click the social links to share this podcast episode and free graphic to other people you know who may benefit from this information.