ADHD Causes: Socioeconomic Factors

Doctors usually write off ADHD causes as a matter of genetics and biology, but the environment we live in has a stronger impact on the disorder than we think. The food we eat, the air we breathe, and the activities we do affect how the body and mind functions, and can trigger any disorders we are genetically predisposed to. There is scientific basis for this theory; a recent study by Swedish researchers uncovered a link between socioeconomic factors and childhood ADHD.

The researchers looked at data from 7,960 children ages 6 to 19, and identified those with severe ADHD by their use of ADHD medication. Below are some of the socioeconomic factors that increase the risk of ADHD and that influence treatment options.

Gender

Researchers observed that boys are three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls. This is partly due to the fact that most people view ADHD in terms of its two most recognized symptoms - hyperactivity and impulsivity. Boys are more likely to display these behaviors than girls. However, there are other symptoms of the disorder - forgetfulness, disorganization, inattention - and they are more likely to be experienced by girls.

Single-parent families

Children are 54% more likely to take ADHD medication if they belong to a single-parent family, compared to those who lived with both parents at home. While there are many ways to treat ADHD naturally, doing so will require more commitment, time, patience, and financial resources from parents than using medication. The parent who has custody of the child may be working longer hours to support the family, which leaves them with little time to parent the child and follow through with natural treatments.

Welfare benefits

Families who have claimed their welfare benefits are 135% more likely to have a child with ADHD than those who have unclaimed benefits. Since ADHD is often genetic, it is likely that parents of the household have untreated ADHD themselves. The disorder may have affected their work performance and job prospects, forcing them to claim their welfare benefits. There is also a possibility that families on welfare do not have access to nutritious foods or live in a clean environment; research shows that nutrient deficiencies and toxic exposure increases the risk of ADHD in children.

Low maternal education

Mothers who have received basic education are 130% more likely to have a child with ADHD than mothers who have a college degree.

Dr. Yannick Pauli is an expert on natural approaches to ADHD and the author of the popular self-help home-program The Unritalin Solution. He is Director of the Centre Neurofit in Lausanne, Switzerland and has a passion taking care of children with ADHD. Click on the link for more great information about what is adhd.

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Risk factors predictive of psychiatric symptoms after traumatic brain injury

ScienceDaily (July 11, 2011) — A history of psychiatric illness such as depression or anxiety before a traumatic brain injury (TBI), together with other risk factors, are strongly predictive of post-TBI psychiatric disorders, according to an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

In addition to a pre-injury psychiatric disorder, two other factors are early indicators of an increased risk for psychiatric illness one year after a TBI: psychiatric symptoms during the acute post-injury period, and a concurrent limb injury. Kate Rachel Gould, DPsych, Jennie Louise Ponsford, PhD, Lisa Johnston, PhD, and Michael Schönberger, PhD, Epworth Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and University of Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, also describe a link between risk of psychiatric symptoms and unemployment, pain, and poor quality of life during the 12-month post-TBI period.

In the presence of a limb injury, patients who suffered a TBI had a 6.4 greater risk of psychiatric disorders at 1 year, and a 4-fold greater risk of depression in particular, compared to patients without a limb injury.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

Kate Rachel Gould, Jennie Louise Ponsford, Lisa Johnston, Michael Schönberger. Predictive and Associated Factors of Psychiatric Disorders after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Study. Journal of Neurotrauma, 2011; : 110613150039035 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2010.1528

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here sciencedaily.com

Protective factors that help women recover from childhood violence identified

ScienceDaily (July 7, 2011) — Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to be in abusive intimate relationships and experience psychological problems such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adulthood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A University of Missouri researcher has found that certain protective factors foster resilience and increase the likelihood that the cycle of violence will end for women who, as children, were exposed to their mothers' battering.

Kim Anderson, associate professor in the MU School of Social Work, found that women are less likely to suffer from PTSD if they are more resilient, or better able to overcome adversity. In regard to childhood protective factors that increase adult resilience, Anderson found that mothers who were employed full-time had a positive influence on their children's recovery from witnessing domestic violence.

"Mothers who work full-time, even in adverse situations, create economic stability and model a strong work ethic, independence and competence," Anderson said. "This shows the importance of the bond between mothers and children and the importance of positive adult role models in the lives of children who have experienced abuse."

The study also identified risk factors for PTSD in women who as children witnessed the abuse of their mothers, including the mental health status of their mothers and police involvement in violent incidents. In particular, children of mothers who had mental health problems were more likely to develop PTSD later in life, as were children who witnessed the arrest of family members during violent incidents.

"The mental health status of mothers affects how they recover from abuse and their parenting style," Anderson said. "Children whose mothers do not experience mental health problems are less likely to have mental health problems of their own."

Anderson says recent financial cuts in domestic violence services and advocacy programs have made it difficult to provide abused women with the resources they need to recover from violent incidents. She recommends advanced job training and opportunities for higher education to help abused women attain sustainable employment.

"Most of the time, the immediate goal is to find women work rather than help them acquire skills that fit their interests," Anderson said. "Those jobs are often low-paying and don't provide the economic sustainability that going back to school and getting a higher education would."

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.

Journal Reference:

Kim M. Anderson, Eun-Jun Bang. Assessing PTSD and resilience for females who during childhood were exposed to domestic violence. Child & Family Social Work, 2011; DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2011.00772.x

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here sciencedaily.com

Risk factors predictive of psychiatric symptoms after traumatic brain injury

ScienceDaily (July 11, 2011) — A history of psychiatric illness such as depression or anxiety before a traumatic brain injury (TBI), together with other risk factors, are strongly predictive of post-TBI psychiatric disorders, according to an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

In addition to a pre-injury psychiatric disorder, two other factors are early indicators of an increased risk for psychiatric illness one year after a TBI: psychiatric symptoms during the acute post-injury period, and a concurrent limb injury. Kate Rachel Gould, DPsych, Jennie Louise Ponsford, PhD, Lisa Johnston, PhD, and Michael Schönberger, PhD, Epworth Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and University of Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, also describe a link between risk of psychiatric symptoms and unemployment, pain, and poor quality of life during the 12-month post-TBI period.

In the presence of a limb injury, patients who suffered a TBI had a 6.4 greater risk of psychiatric disorders at 1 year, and a 4-fold greater risk of depression in particular, compared to patients without a limb injury.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

Kate Rachel Gould, Jennie Louise Ponsford, Lisa Johnston, Michael Schönberger. Predictive and Associated Factors of Psychiatric Disorders after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Study. Journal of Neurotrauma, 2011; : 110613150039035 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2010.1528

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Risk factors predictive of psychiatric symptoms after traumatic brain injury

ScienceDaily (July 11, 2011) — A history of psychiatric illness such as depression or anxiety before a traumatic brain injury (TBI), together with other risk factors, are strongly predictive of post-TBI psychiatric disorders, according to an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

In addition to a pre-injury psychiatric disorder, two other factors are early indicators of an increased risk for psychiatric illness one year after a TBI: psychiatric symptoms during the acute post-injury period, and a concurrent limb injury. Kate Rachel Gould, DPsych, Jennie Louise Ponsford, PhD, Lisa Johnston, PhD, and Michael Schönberger, PhD, Epworth Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and University of Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, also describe a link between risk of psychiatric symptoms and unemployment, pain, and poor quality of life during the 12-month post-TBI period.

In the presence of a limb injury, patients who suffered a TBI had a 6.4 greater risk of psychiatric disorders at 1 year, and a 4-fold greater risk of depression in particular, compared to patients without a limb injury.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

Kate Rachel Gould, Jennie Louise Ponsford, Lisa Johnston, Michael Schönberger. Predictive and Associated Factors of Psychiatric Disorders after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Study. Journal of Neurotrauma, 2011; : 110613150039035 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2010.1528

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Protective factors that help women recover from childhood violence identified

ScienceDaily (July 7, 2011) — Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to be in abusive intimate relationships and experience psychological problems such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adulthood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A University of Missouri researcher has found that certain protective factors foster resilience and increase the likelihood that the cycle of violence will end for women who, as children, were exposed to their mothers' battering.

Kim Anderson, associate professor in the MU School of Social Work, found that women are less likely to suffer from PTSD if they are more resilient, or better able to overcome adversity. In regard to childhood protective factors that increase adult resilience, Anderson found that mothers who were employed full-time had a positive influence on their children's recovery from witnessing domestic violence.

"Mothers who work full-time, even in adverse situations, create economic stability and model a strong work ethic, independence and competence," Anderson said. "This shows the importance of the bond between mothers and children and the importance of positive adult role models in the lives of children who have experienced abuse."

The study also identified risk factors for PTSD in women who as children witnessed the abuse of their mothers, including the mental health status of their mothers and police involvement in violent incidents. In particular, children of mothers who had mental health problems were more likely to develop PTSD later in life, as were children who witnessed the arrest of family members during violent incidents.

"The mental health status of mothers affects how they recover from abuse and their parenting style," Anderson said. "Children whose mothers do not experience mental health problems are less likely to have mental health problems of their own."

Anderson says recent financial cuts in domestic violence services and advocacy programs have made it difficult to provide abused women with the resources they need to recover from violent incidents. She recommends advanced job training and opportunities for higher education to help abused women attain sustainable employment.

"Most of the time, the immediate goal is to find women work rather than help them acquire skills that fit their interests," Anderson said. "Those jobs are often low-paying and don't provide the economic sustainability that going back to school and getting a higher education would."

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.

Journal Reference:

Kim M. Anderson, Eun-Jun Bang. Assessing PTSD and resilience for females who during childhood were exposed to domestic violence. Child & Family Social Work, 2011; DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2011.00772.x

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here