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Understanding the ADHD Racial Gap

Summary & Participants

As more children are being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, experts are noticing a growing divide in the number of minorities seeking treatment.

Medically Reviewed On: July 21, 2009

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactiviy disorder, doesn't discriminate. It impacts all children the same way: causing them to become distracted. As a result, they often struggle in school. But as more and more children are finding help for this disorder, some are worried minorities are getting left behind.

MELVIN OATIS, MD: Well, in thinking about ADHD, what is different is how often it's diagnosed and how often it's treated in the minority population as opposed to the general population.

ANNOUNCER: A lack of education may be the key reason. Compared with whites, African-American parents are less likely to know ADHD's warning signs.

As a result, even the best parents may not understand that their child needs help.

MELVIN OATIS, MD: Oftentimes people don't have that information and sometimes culturally people can look at those as "Oh, that's just a boy being a boy. He's going to grow out of it."

ANNOUNCER: But the problems may also stem from a variety of other factors, including limited access to healthcare and even a cultural bias.

MELVIN OATIS, MD: Psychiatry, unfortunately still has a stigma associated with it, so people are sort of reluctant to actually come in. So sometimes you might actually get some help in pointing them in the right direction, but at other times, you'll have maybe, "Well, my child is just the same," and "Look at him. He's doing fine," or "I had the same difficulty and I turned out just fine. Don't worry about it."

ANNOUNCER: And what are the possible consequences for kids of parents who follow that advice?

MELVIN OATIS, MD: As you get older, the consequences actually become a bit greater. They may not go off to college. Some of them may not even complete high school. They have fewer opportunities available to them.

ANNOUNCER: Awareness efforts by hospitals are important, but experts say community-based education may be most effective in reaching African-American parents.

MELVIN OATIS, MD: So you can go to the schools; have relationships with community groups, such as temples, churches where people can go and actually find out more, and really find out is this something I should be concerned about or not?

ANNOUNCER: Once the warning signs are understood, parents need to be insistent about their child's needs.

MELVIN OATIS, MD: You can also speak with your pediatrician or primary care physician and say, "Look, I'm having some difficulty." Not that you want them to necessarily make a diagnosis, but they may point you in the direction of a psychologist or psychiatrist to make that diagnosis.

ANNOUNCER: Only with proper diagnosis and treatment, can the ADHD racial gap begin to disappear.