If the same diagnostic methods are used, the rates are similar between countries. ADHD is diagnosed approximately three times more often in boys than in girls. This may reflect either a true difference in underlying rate, or that women and girls with ADHD are less likely to be diagnosed.Rates of diagnosis and treatment have increased in both the United Kingdom and the United States since the 1970s. Prior to 1970, it was rare for children to be diagnosed with ADHD, while in the 1970s rates were about 1%. This is believed to be primarily due to changes in how the condition is diagnosed and how readily people are willing to treat it with medications rather than a true change in how common the condition is. It was believed changes to the diagnostic criteria in 2013 with the release of the DSM-5 would increase the percentage of people diagnosed with ADHD, especially among adults.Due to disparities in the treatment and understanding of ADHD between caucasian and non-caucasian populations, many non-caucasian children go undiagnosed and unmedicated. It was found that within the US that there was often a disparity between caucasian and non-caucasian understandings of ADHD. This led to a difference in the classification of the symptoms of ADHD, and therefore, its misdiagnosis. It was also found that it was common in non-caucasian families and teachers to understand the symptoms of ADHD as behavioral issues, rather than mental illness.Crosscultural differences in diagnosis of ADHD can also be attributed to the long-lasting effects of harmful, racially targeted medical practices.
Paradoxical reaction to neuroactive substances
Another sign of the structurally altered signal processing in the central nervous system in this group of people is the conspicuously common Paradoxical reaction (c. 10–20% of patients). These are unexpected reactions in the opposite direction as with a normal effect, or otherwise significant different reactions. These are reactions to neuroactive substances such as local anesthetic at the dentist, sedative, caffeine, antihistamine, weak neuroleptics and central and peripheral painkillers. Since the causes of paradoxical reactions are at least partly genetic, it may be useful in critical situations, for example before operations, to ask whether such abnormalities may also exist in family members. Diagnosis
ADHD is diagnosed by an assessment of a persons behavioral and mental development, including ruling out the effects of drugs, medications, and other medical or psychiatric problems as explanations for the symptoms. ADHD diagnosis often takes into account feedback from parents and teachers with most diagnoses begun after a teacher raises concerns. It may be viewed as the extreme end of one or more continuous human traits found in all people. Imaging studies of the brain do not give consistent results between individuals; thus, they are only used for research purposes and not a diagnosis.In North America and Australia, DSM-5 criteria are used for diagnosis, while European countries usually use the ICD-10. The DSM-IV criteria for diagnosis of ADHD is 3–4 times more likely to diagnose ADHD than is the ICD-10 criteria.