ADHD in Adolescents
How Common is ADHD in Children and Adolescants
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behaviour disorder in childhood. It affects between 8% and 10% of school age children and adolescents. Typically diagnosed in childhood, ADHD still affects many teens. The symptoms — inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity – are intrusive, which means they interrupt and seriously interfere with a teenagers’ life.
Sometimes ADHD coexists with other conditions. For example, it may coexist with learning disabilities, anxiety disorders, and substance-induced mood disorders. In addition, a teen with ADHD may also have oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder. Getting an accurate medical diagnosis and effective treatment for ADHD and coexisting problems is important. ADHD touches all aspects of a teen’s life.
What are symptoms of ADHD in adolescents?
Symptoms of ADHD in teens are similar to those of ADHD in children. They include:
- distractibility
- irritability
- poor concentration
- hyperactivity
- impulsivity
- insomnia
During teen years, especially as the hormonal changes of adolescence are going on, symptoms of ADHD may intensify.
How does ADHD affect the life of an adolescent?
Because of problems with distractibility and poor concentration, many teens with ADHD have difficulty in school. Grades may fall, particularly if the teen is not receiving ADHD treatment.
It’s not uncommon for teens with ADHD to forget assignments, misplace textbooks, and become easily bored with their daily class work. Teens may become inattentive, or excessively attentive — not waiting for their turn before blurting out answers. They may interrupt the teacher and classmates, and rush through assignments. Teens with ADHD may also be fidgety and have a difficult time sitting still in class.
Often, teens with ADHD are so busy focusing on other things they forget about the task at hand. This can be seen especially with homework and athletic skills and in relationships with peers. This lack of attention to what they’re doing often leads to poor performance on tests and being rejected from sports teams, extracurricular activities, and peer groups.
How can therapy help adolescent ADHD
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy can help an adolescent with ADHD deal with the emotional dimensions of the disorder. Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem are the most common co-morbid conditions with ADHD. Because the family system can be profoundly impacted by ADHD behaviors, it is advisable in many cases for parents to seek support not only for their child, but for themselves and/or the whole family.
Behavioral Therapy
The effectiveness of behavioral and psychosocial therapies-especially behavior modification therapy-is well documented. Behavior modification is the use of a highly structured system of rewards and consequences to teach new ways of navigating tasks and relationships. This approach is most effective when the adolescent’s teachers and parents employ a coordinated plan so that new behaviors are reinforced in all settings. A behavior-modification system can be created and managed by parents, educators, and mental health professionals but must be consistently implemented in order to be effective.
My Standards
Our practice adheres to the rigorous standards set forth by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). We are committed to providing evidence-based, effective therapy to our clients. Our therapists undergo extensive training and adhere to strict ethical guidelines to ensure the highest quality of care. We continuously engage in professional development and adhere to ongoing supervision and monitoring processes to maintain our standards of excellence in therapeutic practice.
