Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017;4(3):78-84.
doi: 10.1007/s40474-017-0116-z. Epub 2017 Jul 18.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Looked-After Children: a Systematic Review of the Literature

Renece Willis  1 , Suyog Dhakras  2 , Samuele Cortese  1   2   3   4
Affiliations
Review

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Looked-After Children: a Systematic Review of the Literature

Renece Willis et al. Curr Dev Disord Rep. 2017.

Abstract

Purpose of review: To systematically review the literature on the prevalence and pharmacological treatment of ADHD in looked-after children (LAC).

Recent findings: LAC are a very challenging population from a clinical and psychosocial standpoint, with higher mental health needs compared to non LAC. To date, no systematic review on the prevalence of ADHD, and its treatment, in LAC is available.

Summary: We searched Pubmed, PsycInfo EMBASE + EMBASE CLASSIC, OVID Medline and Web of Science up to November 9 th, 2016. We found 24 papers meeting our criteria. The vast majority of the retained studies are from the USA and show rates of ADHD and of its pharmacological treatment substantially higher in LAC than those reported in national estimates. Future studies from countries other than the USA, aiming to understand the most cost-effective strategies, in the short as well as long term, to manage symptoms of ADHD in LAC are needed.

Keywords: ADHD; Looked-after children; Psychostimulants.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flowchart illustrating study selection process
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, DSM-5. American Psychiatric Publishing ed., 2013.
    1. Polanczyk G, de Lima MS, Horta BL, Biederman J, Rohde LA. The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: a systematic review and metaregression analysis. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164:942–948. doi: 10.1176/ajp.2007.164.6.942. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Biederman J, Faraone SV. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Lancet. 2005;366:237–248. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66915-2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cortese S, Holtmann M, Banaschewski T, Buitelaar J, Coghill D, Danckaerts M, Dittmann RW, Graham J, Taylor E, Sergeant J. Practitioner review: current best practice in the management of adverse events during treatment with ADHD medications in children and adolescents. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013;54:227–246. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12036. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Asch M, Cortese S, Perez DF, Pelissolo A, Aubron V, Orejarena S, Acquaviva E, Mouren MC, Michel G, Gorwood P, Purper-Ouakil D. Psychometric properties of a French version of the junior temperament and character inventory. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2009;18:144–153. doi: 10.1007/s00787-008-0713-9. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources