Clinical Characteristics of ADHD in Thai Children

Objective: To study the clinical characteristics of children who were diagnosed as ADHD. Material and Method: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 202 children who came to a child mental health clinic and were diagnosed as ADHD. Results: Most cases were in the 6-12 years age group and came from small families with 1-2 children. Males outnumbered females (M:F = 3.4:1). One-fifth of the sample received previous psychiatric evaluation from other health professionals but parents needed ‘second opinion’. The most frequent chief complaints were academic/learning problems. Almost one-fourth of the samples came for problems not directly related to ADHD. In this group the most frequent complaints were aggressive and oppositional behavior. Comorbidity was found in 53.5%. More than half of the cases who took intelligence tests had an IQ below 90. Behavioral management was the only treatment modality in 38 % of the sample. In 62 % stimulants were instituted either at the beginning of treatment or as an “add-on ” after behavioral management proved to be insufficient. Among cases that received stimulants, 28 % needed the combination of other psychotropic medications, mostly antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs. Conclusion: A study of the clinical characteristics of ADHD in Thai children revealed male preponderance and high rates of non-ADHD presentations and comorbid conditions. Awareness of varied presentations of ADHD and proper treatment of comorbid conditions is imperative in the comprehensive care of ADHD children