Are ADHD gender patterns moderated by sample source?
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether ADHD gender patterns with respect to social-demographic characteristics, comorbidity, and impairment vary as a function of service use for emotional or behavioral problems.


METHODS
Two hundred and seventy-nine males and 119 females meeting ADHD symptom criteria identified in a nationally representative sample of Australian youth ages 6 to 17 are stratified according to whether they had attended a service in the previous 6 months.


RESULTS
ADHD gender patterns vary across service use on only 2 of the 31 comparisons made. The two exceptions were child's age at interview (females were older than males among service attendees but younger among nonattendees) and depressive disorders (females had higher rates than males among service attendees but lower rates among nonattendees).


CONCLUSIONS
Systematic differences in methods of case identification rather than sample source may be responsible for the discrepant ADHD patterns found between clinic and community-based studies.
Graetz
Brian W
BW
Women's and Children's Hospital, South Australia, Australia.
Sawyer
Michael G
MG
Baghurst
Peter
P
Ettridge
Kerry
K
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors