Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Ajay K Thapar¹, Anita Thapar

¹Department of General Practice, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN.

The British Journal of General Practice : the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners

|December 26, 2003

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Clinical and Cognitive Mediators Underlying Subsequent Depression in Individuals With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Developmental Approach.

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry·2026

Same author

Improving ADHD care pathways should be prioritised for children and young people.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2026

Same author

Stratifying the risk of transition to adult-onset psychiatric disorders in adolescents with anxiety.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026

Same author

Using a Developmental Approach to Investigate Behavioral, Neurodevelopmental, and Depressive Irritability Types.

JAACAP open·2026

Same author

ADHD: The government must finally commit to improving support.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2026

Same author

Association between childhood ADHD problems and premature mortality: identifying modifiable cardiovascular mechanisms in a UK population cohort.

Frontiers in psychiatry·2026

Same journal

Learning disability register enrolment in young people in England: Cohort Study, 2015-2023.

The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·2026

Same journal

Disparities in the uptake of learning disability (intellectual disability) annual health checks.

The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·2026

Same journal

Recording of Pharmacy First consultations in general practice records in England: an observational study of the service's first year using OpenSAFELY.

The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·2026

Same journal

"I have no idea who does the bone thing" A qualitative exploration of older women and healthcare professionals' experiences to guide improvements in osteoporosis care.

The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·2026

Same journal

Enriching New-onset Diabetes for Pancreatic Cancer (ENDPAC): External validation using English sentinel network.

The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·2026

Same journal

Qualitative insights into identifying and managing polypharmacy: Patient, pharmacist and GP perspectives.

The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·2026

See all related articles

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects many children, and primary care plays a key role in its management. Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective intervention, despite ongoing controversies surrounding ADHD.

Area of Science:

Pediatrics
Child Psychology
Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impacts 1.4%–6% of children globally.
Primary care settings are increasingly vital for ADHD recognition and management.
Significant controversy surrounds ADHD diagnosis and treatment approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the empirical evidence behind controversial aspects of ADHD.
To address issues of under- and overdiagnosis.
To clarify the roles of etiology and psychosocial factors in ADHD.

Main Methods:

Discussion paper format.
Review of empirical data on ADHD diagnosis, etiology, outcomes, and psychosocial factors.
Analysis of controversial elements within the ADHD literature.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

Evidence supports the validity of ADHD as a diagnosis when systematically applied.
Controversies regarding under- and overdiagnosis require careful consideration of diagnostic criteria.
Psychosocial factors play a role, but do not negate the neurodevelopmental basis of ADHD.

Conclusions:

Accurate and systematic ADHD diagnosis is scientifically supported.
There is no valid scientific reason to dismiss the concept of ADHD.
Intervention for diagnosed ADHD is warranted based on empirical evidence.