title: Stimulant and psychosocial treatment of ADHD in Latino/Hispanic children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine to what extent Latino/Hispanic children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are receiving treatment and to identify variables that predict treatment with stimulant medication.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary caretakers of a probability household sample (N = 1,897) of Puerto Rican children aged 4-17 years were administered structured interviews (response rate: 90.1%) from 1999-2000 to ascertain psychiatric disorders and types of services received.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 7.0% of children with ADHD received stimulant medication during the last year; moreover, only 3.6% had actually continued this treatment at the time of the interview. One fourth or less of those with ADHD received school-based services or psychosocial treatment. The male-female ratio in stimulant medication use was 10 to 1. In addition, only 0.2% of those with no psychiatric diagnosis received this treatment. ADHD and ADHD-not otherwise specified, impairment, and being male significantly predicted stimulant treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with ADHD in this Latino/Hispanic population are not receiving the most efficacious treatments based on scientific findings and relevant clinical consensus. This population is undertreated rather than overtreated.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan 00936-5067, USA. jbauer@isla.net
authors.forename: José J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bauermeister
authors.forename: Glorisa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Canino
authors.forename: Milagros
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Ligia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez-Taboas
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ribera
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alegría
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012494:Sampling Studies
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants