EXAMINATION OF DSM-IV CRITERIA FOR ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER IN A COUNTY-WIDE SAMPLE/

This study replicated, in the subsequent academic year, teacher-report ed prevalence rates for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD ) based on DSM-IV. Teachers in grades K-5 in a Tennessee county (10 sc hools, 214 teachers, and 4323 children) completed questionnaires on al l their students consisting of the DSM-IV symptoms for disruptive beha vior disorders, except for eight conduct disorder symptoms, seven symp toms screening for anxiety or depression, ratings of performance, and questions about the presence of ADHD, stimulant medication treatment, and behavioral or academic problems. The prevalence rates were 16.1% f or ADHD-all types, 8.8% for ADHD-inattentive type (AD), 2.6% for ADHD- hyperactive/impulsive type (HI), and 4.7% for ADHD-combined type and 6 .8, 3.2, 0.6, and 2.9%, respectively, when impairment was taken into c onsideration. The rates of problems differed mostly between ADHD-AD an d ADHD-HI (30% vs. 68%) for behavior and (56% vs. 16%) for academics. Few (11-33%) had an ADHD diagnosis or were treated with stimulant trea tment (8-26%). DSM-IV criteria are likely to increase the prevalence b ut may better characterize the heterogeneity of this disorder.