Teacher reports of DSM-IV ADHD, ODD, and CD symptoms in schoolchildren

Objective: To examine the prevalence of DSM-IV symptoms of attention-defici t/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder and age, gender, and comorbidity differences between ADHD subtype s. Method: Teachers completed a DSM-IV-referenced symptom inventory for 3,0 06 schoolchildren aged between 3 and 18 years. Results: The screening preva lence rate of ADHD behaviors was 15.8%; rates for individual subtypes were 9.9% for inattentive, 2.4% for hyperactive-impulsive, and 3.6% for combined . The inattentive type was relatively uncommon in preschool children (3.9%) , whereas the hyperactive-impulsive type was least common in teenagers (0.8 %). Screening prevalence rates were higher for African-American (39.5%) tha n white (14.2%) students, but did not vary significantly (p <.05) as a func tion of geographic region or socioeconomic status. ADHD subtypes were rated as more impaired than the non-ADHD group on most measures and were easily differentiated on the basis of comorbid symptoms, social skills impairment, and special education services. Conclusions: The findings of this and simi lar studies show relatively high convergence for the prevalence of ADHD beh aviors and differences between ADHD subtypes.