
Psychiatr Serv 58:626-631, May 2007
doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.58.5.626
© 2007 American Psychiatric Association
Special Section on the National Stigma Study-Children |
Public Knowledge, Beliefs, and Treatment Preferences Concerning Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Jane D. McLeod, Ph.D., M.P.H.,
Danielle L. Fettes, M.A.,
Peter S. Jensen, M.D.,
Bernice A. Pescosolido, Ph.D. and
Jack K. Martin, Ph.D.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand the level of public knowledge about attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), treatment preferences for the disorder, and their sociodemographic correlates. METHODS: A short battery of questions about ADHD was included in the 2002 General Social Survey (N=1,139). In face-to-face interviews, respondents answered questions about whether they had heard of ADHD, what they knew about ADHD, their beliefs about whether ADHD is a "real" disease, and opinions about whether children with ADHD should be offered counseling or medication. RESULTS: Just under two-thirds of respondents (64%) had heard of ADHD; most could not provide detailed information about the disorder. Women and those with higher levels of education were more likely to have heard of ADHD; African Americans, members of other nonwhite racial and ethnic groups, and older respondents were less likely to have heard of ADHD. Among respondents who had heard of ADHD, 78% said they believed ADHD to be a real disease; women, white respondents, and persons with higher income most often endorsed that belief. Most respondents (65%) endorsed the use of both counseling and medication, although counseling was endorsed as a sole treatment more often than medication. There were few sociodemographic differences in treatment preferences. CONCLUSIONS: The public is not well informed about ADHD. Future media and educational efforts should seek to provide accurate information about ADHD, with a special effort to reach specific populations such as men, nonwhite minority groups, and older Americans.
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
E. C. Ross
CHADD and Public Attitudes About ADHD
Psychiatr Serv,
June 1, 2007;
58(6):
876 - 877.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. A. Pescosolido
Culture, Children, and Mental Health Treatment: Special Section on the National Stigma Study-Children
Psychiatr Serv,
May 1, 2007;
58(5):
611 - 612.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
Get information about faster international access.
a>
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2007
American Psychiatric Association.
All rights reserved.
Home
| Search
| Current Issue
| Past Issues
| Subscribe
| All APPI Journals
| Help
| Contact Us
|