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“Zappelphilipp” – that’s what hyperactive children used to be called. Today the disease is called ADHD. According to a study, many more children are affected than previously thought.
Pulheim – ADHD is a complex disease that in many cases is diagnosed late or not at all, much to the distress of the affected families. It is often a struggle for parents and children to come to terms with symptoms such as inner restlessness, the urge to move, lack of concentration and difficult social behavior.
Children with ADHD: One in five families experiences the suffering of hyperactivity
At the popularly known Fidgety Philipp Syndrome it is by no means a “fashion disease”. ADHD is a serious neurological disorder that can take a toll on the lives of children and adults around them. Doctors suspect that changes in certain functions in the brain are the main cause of this chronic disease. These are very complex neurological changes that influence psychosocial and disturbed and hyperkinetic behavior. Hyperkinetic disorders are behavioral patterns characterized by hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention.
Restlessness, urge to move, hypersensitivity: one child in every fifth family is affected by ADHD. (icon picture)
© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
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ADHD symptoms can be broken down into three core areas:
- Poor attention and concentration
Pronounced restlessness
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Affected people have to deal with the disease or diagnosis ADHD their whole life. ADHD can still cause great adjustment difficulties in adolescence and adulthood. Even seniors can still struggle with the symptoms.
Children with ADHD: Every fifth family is affected
According to a study According to the Heidelberg Sinus Institute, at least every fifth family has a child with an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In nine percent of the affected cases there is a medical diagnosis of the chronic disease, in eleven percent a corresponding assumption.
For the study, Sinus evaluated data from an online survey in which 1,000 mothers and fathers took part in the summer of 2021. The study was carried out on behalf of the Federal Working Group for the Promotion of Children, Adolescents and Adults with Partial Performance Disorders/Perception Disorders e. V., BAG-TL/WS for short. According to Sinus, the results are representative of German-speaking parents aged 30 and over with at least one child under the age of 18.
Children and ADHD: Teachers and educators must also be trained to deal with them
In any case, however, physicians should act responsibly and Don’t be hasty with the diagnosis, emphasizes Eckhard Barth, Chairman of the BAG-TL/WS. And many teachers tend to refer affected children to special schools or Waldorf schools, where lessons are less stressful. Barth is clearly in favor of ADHD and the associated social difficulties for children already having to be dealt with during teacher training. It would be important for educators to be trained in order to be able to assess the affected children correctly. In many German schools there is still a lot of catching up to do.
Children with ADHD often feel left out
There is still a problem with the integration of those affected in school and society. 80 percent of parents find that ADHD sufferers are excluded, another 74 percent that children with ADHD have a harder time making friends. As many as 15 percent of parents would rather their children not play with children who have ADHD. Parents also show compassion towards those affected. Almost all those surveyed find that children with ADHD are not able to fully exploit their potential.
ADHD: The offers of help are not well known in families and schools
Although ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders in children, it is still poorly understood. In the online survey, only ten percent of parents rated themselves as “very informed” on this subject, while a further 51 percent considered themselves “rather informed”. “The level of information on ADHD can therefore be expanded from the parents’ point of view,” emphasizes Barth.
There are many different offers of help for ADHD sufferers and their families, but according to the study only a few parents are aware of them. Of the 17 offers presented in the survey, only four are known to at least half of the respondents. Below:
- Medication administration (66 percent)
- Child and adolescent psychiatry (65 percent)
- behavioral therapy (57 percent)
- family support (57 percent)
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(With material from dpa)
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This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.
List of rubrics: © Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
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- Poor attention and concentration
