ADHD Among African-Americans

This study did not address the very important question of differential treatment of ADHD among children in various racial and ethnic groups. Yet, research suggests a number of factors affect treatment for racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S., including lack of health care providers who understand different cultures, inability to pay for care, and lack of knowledge regarding effective treatments. According to Melvin Oatis, MD, writing for the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (PDF): Seeking and receiving treatment for a mental health disorder like ADHD can be a complex process that is influenced by a combination of access barriers and individual, cultural, and societal factors. For ethnic minorities, these factors include attitudes and perceptions about mental health care, language barriers, parental knowledge about ADHD, general access to treatment, and cost of treatment. Two interesting articles published in 2005 examine the impact of cultural beliefs on seeking treatment for ADHD among African-Americans. Although these articles are now each several years old, they highlight beliefs about ADHD and help-seeking that are important in any discussion of eliminating racial disparities in treatment. A study published in The Journal of the National Medical Association suggests that many African-American parents may be unfamiliar with ADHD: “Although … 69 percent of African American parents have heard of ADHD, only 36 percent … [had] i...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Attention Deficit Disorder Children and Teens Disorders General Parenting School Issues Students Treatment Access To Health Care Action Resources Adhd Adhd Diagnosis Adhd Research African American Families African Americans A Source Type: news