[Results of screening for symptoms of attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity in schools by means of the ADHS scale].
BACKGROUND
The diagnosis of attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD) is a controversial process that may be conditioned to a certain extent by the system of diagnostic classification, by the measuring instrument, by the population that has been chosen for study and by the source of information. This disparity among factors is clearly visible in epidemiological studies, where the rate of prevalence varies so much that it ranges from 1 to 30%, although most studies place it somewhere between 3 and 5%.


OBJECTIVE
To study the value of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder rating scale (ADHS) as an instrument for screening for symptoms of ADHD in schools.


METHODS
The sample taken for study included 2,401 schoolchildren of both sexes between 6-12 years old from 10 different educational centres in Barcelona and the area of Valles Occidental.


RESULTS
The analysis of the data obtained showed that 12% of the subjects in our sample were at risk of ADHD, which means that one out of every eight schoolchildren could have this disorder. Boys scored consistently higher than girls in almost all of the subscales of the ADHS, the proportion being 4:1.


CONCLUSIONS
Given the prevalence of this phenomenon, the authors suggest that further studies should be conducted to determine the prevalence of the disorder as a diagnostic condition.
Blázquez-Almería
G
G
Institut de Psiquiatria i Psicologia Aplicades, Centre Mèdic Ca n'Oriac, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain. gemmablz@infomail.e.telefonica.net
Joseph-Munné
D
D
Burón-Masó
E
E
Carrillo-González
C
C
Joseph-Munné
M
M
Cuyàs-Reguera
M
M
Freile-Sánchez
R
R
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012574:Schools; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology