A study published in the journal Pediatrics found a significant increase in mental health cases such as ADHD and autism among children in a ten-year period.
August 21, 2014
Orlando, Florida, US – /PressCable/ —
Children with Mental Health Disabilities Like Autism and AHDH Went Up 16% in 10 Years
Orlando, Florida (August 19, 2014) – A paper published in a recent online edition of Pediatrics found that incidence of mental health disabilities such as ADHD and autism among American children rose by 16% from 2001 to 2011.
The research team behind the paper used data from the National Health Interview Survey conducted from 2001 to 2002 and 2010 to 2011. In the survey, parents indicated if their children had physical or mental health disabilities through a questionnaire.
Dr. Amy Houtrow, lead researcher and chief of the pediatric rehabilitation medicine division of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburg, said the survey showed that neurodevelopmental and mental health among children rose over the ten-year period. By contrast, physical disability issues went down by 12% within the same period.
The researchers also noted the largest increase in reported cases of children with mental health issues is found among more affluent homes. Dr. Houtrow stated the disparity may arise from the fact that parents in higher economic groups tend to be more comfortable about seeking medical help for their children. On the other hand, poorer parents are more concerned about providing basic needs for their children rather than getting medical treatment for their children’s mental health issues.
Julian Stewart, spokesperson for HealthCampFlorida.net, said, “These findings should be a wakeup call for parents to prioritize addressing children’s mental health concerns. Also, government health agencies should provide mental health services that will help parents take care of their children’s needs.”
Dr. Houtrow stated, “Healthy children grow up to be healthy adults. Knowing how to better treat our younger generation is important to this country’s future.”
HealthCampFlorida.net is an online information source on mental health and mental health services for both adults and children. For more information, please email Julian Stewart at info@healthcampflorida.net or visit http://healthcampflorida.net.
Contact Info:
Name: Julian Stewart
Email: info@healthcampflorida.net
Organization: HealthCampFlorida.net
Website: http://healthcampflorida.net
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