Latest news with #AllisonBurk
Voice of America
03-03-2025
- Health
- Voice of America
Rise in ADHD Cases Raises Questions
Allison Burk's daughter was struggling. The American teenager had uncontrolled emotions, a decreased ability to pay attention and trouble completing work on time. A family doctor suggested testing for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. This led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHD, and her mother, Allison Burk, did too. During her daughter's testing, Burk thought, 'Wait a minute. This sounds familiar.' 'I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing,' said Burk, who lives in Columbus, Ohio. She sought testing for herself and was diagnosed with ADHD — at 42 years old. More adults are being diagnosed with ADHD. Diagnoses have been rising for at least 20 years but seem to have increased sharply in the last few years. A recent government study suggested that more than 15 million adults in the United States — about 1 in 17 — have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition starts in childhood, but about half of adults with ADHD are diagnosed when they are 18 or older. Some doctors say the number of people seeking ADHD testing is sharply increasing. 'Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years,' said Justin Barterian. He is a psychologist based at Ohio State University. Signs of ADHD in adults ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control their behaviors. The disorder can be genetic. Doctors often treat the disorder with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both. Judy Sandler is 62 years old and lives in the U.S. state of Maine. She was diagnosed in her 50s. Sandler describes what ADHD feels like for her. 'It's like there's an engine in you and you feel like it's always running, and you can't turn it off except with medication,' Sandler said. ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in American children. More than 7 million children in the U.S. have been diagnosed. The disorder was once thought to be something that resolved as children became adults. But now, experts say they believe that many people are not diagnosed as kids and that the disorder continues into adulthood. Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on immediate responsibilities and planning their time. Some say the disorder has led to problems in their personal relationships. Diagnoses have been rising Diagnoses have been increasing in both kids and adults. The recent government report also found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates had suggested. 'We haven't had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time,' said Angelika Claussen. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researcher was one of the study's writers. There were signs of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to severe shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions, or doctors' orders for such medication, was notable in adults — especially among women. ADHD diagnoses and medication were increasing before the pandemic. This is partly because of a change in general diagnostic measures in 2013. Those changes expanded the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of signs, or symptoms, required for diagnosis. But cases really seemed to increase in 2020, when schools closed and many adults were forced to work from home. 'It's very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids,' Claussen said. She said such conditions may have worsened ADHD symptoms in people with less severe cases. How ADHD is diagnosed in adults Experts say that it was long believed that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults. Now, experts debate about whether it has become over-diagnosed. There is no blood or brain test for the disorder. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms began in early childhood. Experts say the best way professionals diagnose ADHD is by getting careful histories from patients and from people who know them. They also might test a patient's memory and ability to focus. But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months. And assessments can cost thousands of dollars. Many people turn to family doctors. People also take online diagnostic tests, some of which are linked to health companies that prescribe medications. 'There is a wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose,' said Margaret Sibley. She is psychologist at University of Washington. The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is preparing a set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for American health professionals who treat adults. Sibley is leading the work on the guidelines, which the organization expects to release later this year. I'm Anna Matteo. And I'm Jill Robbins. Mike Stobbe reported this story for the Associated Press from New York, New York. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. __________________________________________________ Words in This Story teenager -n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old familiar -adj. frequently seen or experienced diagnose -v. to recognize a disease or condition in clinic -n. a place for the treatment of people needing medical help who do not stay overnight assessment -n. the action or an instance of making a judgment about something psychologist -n. a person who specializes in the study of mind and behavior or in the treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders focus -v. to cause to be concentrated prescribe -v. to order or direct the use of something as a remedy variable -adj. able or likely to change : variability -n. strict -adj. completely correct : exact : precise
Arab Times
28-01-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
Rise in diagnoses is prompting more US adults to ask: 'Do I have ADHD?'
NEW YORK, Jan 28, (AP): Allison Burk's teenage daughter struggled with uncontrolled emotions, a shrinking attention span and a growing tendency to procrastinate. A family doctor suggested ADHD testing, which led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHD, and Burk did too. During her daughter's evaluation, Burk thought, "Wait a minute. This sounds familiar," she recalled. "I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing,' said Burk, of Columbus, Ohio. She subsequently underwent her own testing and was diagnosed with ADHD - at age 42. More adults are being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Diagnoses have been rising for decades but seem to have accelerated in the last few years. A recent study suggested that more than 15 million U.S. adults - roughly 1 in 17 - have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition always starts in childhood, but about half of adults with it are diagnosed when they are 18 or older. Some doctors say the number of people coming in for evaluation is skyrocketing. "Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years,' said Justin Barterian, a psychologist based at Ohio State University. Here's a look at the phenomenon, and how to know if you might have the condition. ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. It can be inherited, and is often treated with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both. "It's like there's an engine in you and you feel like it's always running, and you can't turn it off except with medication,' said Judy Sandler, a 62-year-old Maine woman who was diagnosed in her 50s. ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in U.S. children, with more than 7 million kids diagnosed. Historically, it was thought to mainly affect boys (perhaps because boys with ADHD were seen as more disruptive in school) and to be something that kids grew out of. But experts believe many people aren't diagnosed as kids and live with symptoms into adulthood. Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on tasks, juggling responsibilities, and planning and managing their time. Some talk about not putting things away, and straining personal relationships with their restlessness, mood swings and impulsiveness. Burk said she was grouped with talented and gifted students in grade school but didn't complete college until her 30s because, "when I was 19, I hitchhiked across the country on a whim' and ended up a single mother in her early 20s. She now works in marketing and media relations for Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Diagnoses have been climbing in both kids and adults, and the recent government report found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates. "We haven't had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time,' said one of the study's authors, Angelika Claussen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were indicators of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to widespread shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions was particularly notable in adults - especially women. ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions were increasing before the pandemic, due partly to a change in general diagnostic criteria in 2013 that broadened the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of symptoms a patient needed to have. But case counts really seemed to jump in 2020, when schools were closed and many adults were forced to work from home. "It's very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids,' Claussen said. "That may have exacerbated the symptoms for people who'd had mild ADHD but were able to cope' before the pandemic. The last few years have seen growing cultural acceptance and curiosity about the condition, fueled by a proliferation of "I have ADHD' social media videos and online medical start-up companies offering 5-minute diagnostic quizzes. Indeed, the long-held belief that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults has given way to recent debates about whether it's become overdiagnosed. There's no blood test or brain scan for ADHD. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms can be traced to pre-adolescent childhood. Ideally, a psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses it by taking careful histories from patients and from people who know them, experts say. They also might ask patients to take tests designed to check their memory and ability to concentrate. Doctors also must rule out anxiety, depression and other conditions that can have similar symptoms. But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months, and intensive ADHD evaluations can cost thousands of dollars. Many patients turn to family doctors or even online diagnostic quizzes, some of them connected to telehealth companies that prescribe medications. "There is wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose,' said Margaret Sibley, a University of Washington psychologist. The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is drafting a first national set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for health professionals who treat adults, and expects to release them later this year. The goal is "to improve the accuracy of diagnoses in this country," said Sibley, who is leading the work on the guidelines.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Rise in diagnoses is prompting more US adults to ask: ‘Do I have ADHD?'
Allison Burk's teenage daughter struggled with uncontrolled emotions, a shrinking attention span and a growing tendency to procrastinate. A family doctor suggested ADHD testing, which led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHD, and Burk did too. During her daughter's evaluation, Burk thought, 'Wait a minute. This sounds familiar,' she recalled. 'I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing,' said Burk, of Columbus, Ohio. She subsequently underwent her own testing and was diagnosed with ADHD — at age 42. More adults are being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Diagnoses have been rising for decades but seem to have accelerated in the last few years. Read: Orange County Animal Services to host free microchipping and vaccination event for pet owners A recent study suggested that more than 15 million U.S. adults — roughly 1 in 17 — have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition always starts in childhood, but about half of adults with it are diagnosed when they are 18 or older. Some doctors say the number of people coming in for evaluation is skyrocketing. 'Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years,' said Justin Barterian, a psychologist based at Ohio State University. Here's a look at the phenomenon, and how to know if you might have the condition. ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. It can be inherited, and is often treated with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both. 'It's like there's an engine in you and you feel like it's always running, and you can't turn it off except with medication,' said Judy Sandler, a 62-year-old Maine woman who was diagnosed in her 50s. ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in U.S. children, with more than 7 million kids diagnosed. Historically, it was thought to mainly affect boys (perhaps because boys with ADHD were seen as more disruptive in school) and to be something that kids grew out of. But experts believe many people aren't diagnosed as kids and live with symptoms into adulthood. Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on tasks, juggling responsibilities, and planning and managing their time. Some talk about not putting things away, and straining personal relationships with their restlessness, mood swings and impulsiveness. Burk said she was grouped with talented and gifted students in grade school but didn't complete college until her 30s because, 'when I was 19, I hitchhiked across the country on a whim' and ended up a single mother in her early 20s. She now works in marketing and media relations for Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Read: Triple fatal Palm Bay condo fire claims the lives of single family Diagnoses have been climbing in both kids and adults, and the recent government report found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates. 'We haven't had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time,' said one of the study's authors, Angelika Claussen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were indicators of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to widespread shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions was particularly notable in adults — especially women. ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions were increasing before the pandemic, due partly to a change in general diagnostic criteria in 2013 that broadened the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of symptoms a patient needed to have. But case counts really seemed to jump in 2020, when schools were closed and many adults were forced to work from home. 'It's very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids,' Claussen said. 'That may have exacerbated the symptoms for people who'd had mild ADHD but were able to cope' before the pandemic. Read: Auschwitz was liberated 80 years ago. The spotlight is on survivors as their numbers dwindle The last few years have seen growing cultural acceptance and curiosity about the condition, fueled by a proliferation of 'I have ADHD' social media videos and online medical start-up companies offering 5-minute diagnostic quizzes. Indeed, the long-held belief that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults has given way to recent debates about whether it's become overdiagnosed. There's no blood test or brain scan for ADHD. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms can be traced to pre-adolescent childhood. Ideally, a psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses it by taking careful histories from patients and from people who know them, experts say. They also might ask patients to take tests designed to check their memory and ability to concentrate. Doctors also must rule out anxiety, depression and other conditions that can have similar symptoms. But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months, and intensive ADHD evaluations can cost thousands of dollars. Many patients turn to family doctors or even online diagnostic quizzes, some of them connected to telehealth companies that prescribe medications. 'There is wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose,' said Margaret Sibley, a University of Washington psychologist. The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is drafting a first national set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for health professionals who treat adults, and expects to release them later this year. The goal is 'to improve the accuracy of diagnoses in this country,' said Sibley, who is leading the work on the guidelines. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘Do I have ADHD?': The number of people asking is skyrocketing
Allison Burk's teenage daughter struggled with uncontrolled emotions, a shrinking attention span and a growing tendency to procrastinate. That's when a family doctor suggested ADHD testing, which led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHD, and Burk did too. During her daughter's evaluation, Burk thought, "Wait a minute. This sounds familiar," she says. 'I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing,' said Burk, of Columbus, Ohio. She subsequently underwent her own testing and was diagnosed with ADHD — at age 42. More adults are being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Diagnoses have been rising for decades but accelerated in the last few years. A recent study suggested that more than 15 million U.S. adults — roughly 1 in 17 — have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition always starts in childhood, but about half of adults with it are diagnosed when they are 18 or older. Some doctors say the number of people coming in for evaluation is skyrocketing. 'Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years,' said Justin Barterian, a psychologist based at Ohio State University. Here's a look at the phenomenon, and how to know if you might have the condition. The symptoms of ADHD in adults ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. It can be inherited, and is often treated with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both. 'It's like there's an engine in you and you feel like it's always running, and you can't turn it off except with medication,' said Judy Sandler, a 62-year-old Maine woman who was diagnosed in her 50s. ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in U.S. children, with more than 7 million kids diagnosed. Historically, it was thought to mainly affect boys (perhaps because boys with ADHD were seen as more disruptive in school) and to be something that kids grew out of. But experts believe many people aren't diagnosed as kids and live with symptoms into adulthood. Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on tasks, juggling responsibilities, and planning and managing their time. Some talk about not putting things away, and straining personal relationships with their restlessness, mood swings and impulsiveness. Burk said she was grouped with talented and gifted students in grade school but didn't complete college until her 30s because, 'when I was 19, I hitchhiked across the country on a whim' and ended up a single mother in her early 20s. She now works in marketing and media relations for Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Diagnoses have been climbing in both kids and adults, and the recent government report found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates. 'We haven't had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time,' said one of the study's authors, Angelika Claussen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were indicators of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to widespread shortages after the COVID -19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions was particularly notable in adults — especially women. ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions were increasing before the pandemic, due partly to a change in general diagnostic criteria in 2013 that broadened the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of symptoms a patient needed to have. But case counts really seemed to jump in 2020, when schools were closed and many adults were forced to work from home. 'It's very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids,' Claussen said. 'That may have exacerbated the symptoms for people who'd had mild ADHD but were able to cope' before the pandemic. The last few years have seen growing cultural acceptance and curiosity about the condition, fueled by a proliferation of 'I have ADHD' social media videos and online medical start-up companies offering 5-minute diagnostic quizzes. Indeed, the long-held belief that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults has given way to recent debates about whether it's become overdiagnosed. ADHD fact box Adults with ADHD may die up to 11 years younger, new research finds There's no blood test or brain scan for ADHD. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms can be traced to pre-adolescent childhood. Ideally, a psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses it by taking careful histories from patients and from people who know them, experts say. They also might ask patients to take tests designed to check their memory and ability to concentrate. Doctors also must rule out anxiety, depression and other conditions that can have similar symptoms. But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months, and intensive ADHD evaluations can cost thousands of dollars. Many patients turn to family doctors or even online diagnostic quizzes, some of them connected to telehealth companies that prescribe medications. 'There is wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose,' said Margaret Sibley, a University of Washington psychologist. The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is drafting a first national set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for health professionals who treat adults, and expects to release them later this year. The goal is "to improve the accuracy of diagnoses in this country," said Sibley, who is leading the work on the guidelines.
Chicago Tribune
27-01-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Rise in diagnoses is prompting more US adults to ask: ‘Do I have ADHD?'
NEW YORK — Allison Burk's teenage daughter struggled with uncontrolled emotions, a shrinking attention span and a growing tendency to procrastinate. A family doctor suggested ADHD testing, which led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHD, and Burk did too. During her daughter's evaluation, Burk thought, 'Wait a minute. This sounds familiar,' she recalled. 'I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing,' said Burk, of Columbus, Ohio. She subsequently underwent her own testing and was diagnosed with ADHD — at age 42. More adults are being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Diagnoses have been rising for decades but seem to have accelerated in the last few years. A recent study suggested that more than 15 million U.S. adults — roughly 1 in 17 — have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition always starts in childhood, but about half of adults with it are diagnosed when they are 18 or older. Some doctors say the number of people coming in for evaluation is skyrocketing. 'Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years,' said Justin Barterian, a psychologist based at Ohio State University. Here's a look at the phenomenon, and how to know if you might have the condition. ADHD symptoms in adults ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. It can be inherited, and is often treated with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both. 'It's like there's an engine in you and you feel like it's always running, and you can't turn it off except with medication,' said Judy Sandler, a 62-year-old Maine woman who was diagnosed in her 50s. ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in U.S. children, with more than 7 million kids diagnosed. Historically, it was thought to mainly affect boys (perhaps because boys with ADHD were seen as more disruptive in school) and to be something that kids grew out of. But experts believe many people aren't diagnosed as kids and live with symptoms into adulthood. Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on tasks, juggling responsibilities, and planning and managing their time. Some talk about not putting things away, and straining personal relationships with their restlessness, mood swings and impulsiveness. Burk said she was grouped with talented and gifted students in grade school but didn't complete college until her 30s because, 'when I was 19, I hitchhiked across the country on a whim' and ended up a single mother in her early 20s. She now works in marketing and media relations for Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Diagnoses have been rising Diagnoses have been climbing in both kids and adults, and the recent government report found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates. 'We haven't had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time,' said one of the study's authors, Angelika Claussen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were indicators of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to widespread shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions was particularly notable in adults — especially women. ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions were increasing before the pandemic, due partly to a change in general diagnostic criteria in 2013 that broadened the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of symptoms a patient needed to have. But case counts really seemed to jump in 2020, when schools were closed and many adults were forced to work from home. 'It's very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids,' Claussen said. 'That may have exacerbated the symptoms for people who'd had mild ADHD but were able to cope' before the pandemic. How ADHD is diagnosed in adults The last few years have seen growing cultural acceptance and curiosity about the condition, fueled by a proliferation of 'I have ADHD' social media videos and online medical start-up companies offering 5-minute diagnostic quizzes. Indeed, the long-held belief that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults has given way to recent debates about whether it's become overdiagnosed. There's no blood test or brain scan for ADHD. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms can be traced to pre-adolescent childhood. Ideally, a psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses it by taking careful histories from patients and from people who know them, experts say. They also might ask patients to take tests designed to check their memory and ability to concentrate. Doctors also must rule out anxiety, depression and other conditions that can have similar symptoms. But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months, and intensive ADHD evaluations can cost thousands of dollars. Many patients turn to family doctors or even online diagnostic quizzes, some of them connected to telehealth companies that prescribe medications. 'There is wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose,' said Margaret Sibley, a University of Washington psychologist. The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is drafting a first national set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for health professionals who treat adults, and expects to release them later this year. The goal is 'to improve the accuracy of diagnoses in this country,' said Sibley, who is leading the work on the guidelines.
