Factors Contributing To The Recent Increase Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnoses

Over the past twenty years, the number of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses has steadily climbed. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 11% of American school-aged children and roughly 5% of American adults have ADHD (CDC, 2016; Manos, 2010). This literature review will investigate possible influences on the increasing rates of ADHD diagnoses. There are many different hypothesized etiologies for ADHD, but no one factor can be labeled as the exclusive cause of ADHD developing in children (DuPaul & Stoner, 2003). To date, researchers have not reached consensus on the etiology of the disorder, which may be a factor influencing the increased prevalence. Also, the diagnostic criteria have changed in various editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (Mash & Wolfe, 2016). Several different mental health professionals are able to diagnose a person with ADHD, meaning that diagnostic practices and treatments are not uniform in the United States. (Smith, 2011). Lastly, the changing culture of the United States may indicate that societal influences have contributed to the increase in diagnoses of ADHD in America.