ArticleEpidemiology and psychiatric sciences2017
Prevalence rates of youths diagnosed with and medicated for ADHD in a nationwide survey in Taiwan from 2000 to 2011.
Article in Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 67 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence of pharmacologically treated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, adolescents, and adults: systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of virtual reality-based exercise intervention in young people with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2025Pooled it
- Risk of poisoning in children and adolescents with ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2018Pooled it
- Suicide attempt risk among patients receiving methylphenidate: a retrospective cohort study.Psychopharmacology · 2026Article
- French Consumption of Methylphenidate in Primary Care From 2016 to 2023, Impact of Prescribing Policy Changes-A Time-Series Analysis.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2026Article
- Supporting Medication Adherence and Patient-Centered Care for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Taiwan: A Pharmacist-Oriented Perspective Informed by Targeted Evidence.Patient preference and adherence · 2026Article
- Associations Between Peer Victimization and Aggression and Three Types of Domestic Violence in Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Critical appraisal of studies evaluating prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Association between methylphenidate use and long-term cardiovascular risk in paediatric patients with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.BMJ paediatrics open · 2024Article
- Correlational Insights into Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Lebanon.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Parenting stress, anxiety, and sources of acquiring knowledge in Taiwanese caregivers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children is related to maternal screen time during early childhood in Taiwan: a national prospective cohort study.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
- Medical outcomes of children with neurodevelopmental disorders after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: A six-month follow-up study.Vaccine · 2023Article
- Systematic Review of Suicidal Behaviors Related to Methylphenidate and Atomoxetine in Patients With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · 2023Review
- Perspectives on ADHD in children and adolescents as a social construct amidst rising prevalence of diagnosis and medication use.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- New insights into precocious puberty and ADHD: a nationwide cohort study.Pediatric research · 2022Article
- Relationship between Injuries and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Population-Based Study with Long-Term Follow-Up in Taiwan.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Effect ofJournal of personalized medicine · 2022Article
- Management of ADHD in Prisoners-Evidence Gaps and Reasons for Caution.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Investigation of the Impact of Dental Care via Composite Resin Restoration among Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Registry-Based Nested Case-Control Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 8 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsPublic controversy regarding the potential overdiagnosis and overmedication of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has continued for decades. This study used the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan (NHIRD-TW) to explore trends in ADHD diagnosis in youths and the proportion of those receiving medication, with the aim of determining whether ADHD is overdiagnosed and overmedicated in Taiwan.
methodYouths (age ≤18 years) who had at least two NHIRD-TW claims records with ADHD diagnosis between January 2000 and December 2011 were selected as the subject cohort. In total, the study sample comprised 145 018 patients with ADHD (mean age at a diagnosis of ADHD: 7.7 ± 3.1 years; 21.4% females). The number of cases of ADHD were calculated annually for each year (from 2000 to 2011), and the number of cases per year who received medication was determined as those with at least one record of pharmacotherapy (immediate-release methylphenidate, osmotic controlled-release formulation of methylphenidate, and atomoxetine) in each year.
resultsThe prevalence rates of a diagnosis of ADHD in the youths ranged from 0.11% in 2000 to 1.24% in 2011. Compared with children under 6 years of age, the ADHD diagnosis rates in children aged between 7 and 12 years (ratio of prevalence rates = 4.36) and in those aged between 13 and 18 years (ratio of prevalence rates = 1.42) were significantly higher during the study period. The prevalence in males was higher than that in females (ratio of prevalence rates = 4.09). Among the youths with ADHD, 50.2% received medications in 2000 compared with 61.0% in 2011. The probability of receiving ADHD medication increased with age. More male ADHD patients received medications that females patients (ratio of prevalence rates = 1.16).
conclusionsThe rate of ADHD diagnosis was far lower than the prevalence rate (7.5%) identified in a previous community study using face-to-face interviews. Approximately 40-50% of the youths with ADHD did not receive any medications. These findings are not consistent with a systematic public opinion about overdiagnosis or overmedication of ADHD in Taiwan.
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