Comment: Cultural diversity
Rob Rodrigues Pereira
pp 43-43
Every day we are confronted by images of desperate individuals attempting to escape war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. They have the courage to start a dangerous and expensive journey to safer countries in Europe, sometimes with their whole family. When they are lucky enough to arrive in a safe place, new problems arise, such as adapting to a different culture, coping with trauma, learning a new language, finding a school for their children and gaining employment.
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ADHD in women: the oestrogen connection
Patricia O Quinn
pp 44-47
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) occurs in approximately 4.4% of adults, with the incidence in females approaching that of males. Thus, ADHD is now being diagnosed in millions of women worldwide. Despite this, few women receive the comprehensive evaluation needed to delineate the full array of symptoms as they appear in females, including cognitive, anxiety and mood disorders. Even fewer receive a comprehensive treatment programme to address these symptoms and optimise daily functioning.
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Objective measures for the diagnosis of ADHD: practicality and ethics
Salim Jakhra
pp 44-47
In the Spring issue of ADHD in practice, the potential limitations of subjective information forming the basis of a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the objective measures that are available were reviewed, reflecting on their place in clinical practice. If objectivity can be achieved in the diagnostic process, patient care is less likely to be influenced by potential biases and personal opinions of parents, teachers and clinicians. Unfortunately, there are limited data on the diagnostic accuracy of these objective measures, particularly on the differentiation of children with ADHD from healthy controls and other psychiatric patients. The value of these measures lies in their ability to add to the current diagnostic process by providing objective information as a component of a broader assessment process.
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Book review: ADHD and Hyperkinetic Disorder, Oxford Psychiatry Library, 2nd edition
Rob Rodrigues Pereira
pp 51-51
Part of the Oxford Psychiatry Library series, this pocket book is clearly written by distinguished international experts on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and covers almost everything you could want to know about ADHD, from preconception advice to adult therapy. It is intended as an overview for any interested healthcare professional, including GPs.
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ADHD in Tunisia: a reality being revealed
Naoufel Gaddour
pp 52-55
The clinical picture of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Tunisia reflects a classical pathway associated with this disorder worldwide, with pressures surrounding academic success, the efficacy and safety of medications, and social acceptance of children with disruptive behaviours. However, the picture is not complete without considering aspects related to Mediterranean and Arabic culture, especially regarding parenting, and challenges related to the major transitions of a developing country.
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Accident risk, functional impairment and treatment
Nigel Humphrey
pp 56-56
In this this issue we look at Philip et al’s investigation of driving risk associated with sleepiness in ADHD patients. We also highlight a 20-year epidemiological study by Lambert et al,which somewhat surprisingly finds the length of stimulant treatment to be relatively short. A post-2010 study would be of interest, given the improvements in diagnostic methods and increasing awareness of adult ADHD. Marthe et al call for more robust research into the field of cognitive training packages and Mörstedt et al explore the oftenoverlooked emotional impairments in ADHD.
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Where next following the French statement on ADHD?
Hervé Caci
pp 57-59
In 2010, HyperSuper, a French attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patient support group, and a number of other scientific societies, requested that the French department of health, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), develop a general set of clinical recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents. Until that time, the neurologic, paediatric and child psychiatric societies of France had not issued a joint statement.
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