People with ADHD have a shorter life expectancy, study finds

THASMEEN MAHFUZ. WELL, YOU KNOW, KIDS HAVE BEEN BACK IN SCHOOL FOR WEEKS NOW, BUT IF YOUR KIDS ARE HAVING ADHD AND ATTENTION PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL, WHEN SHOULD YOU BE WORRIED AND WHAT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE TO SEEK HELP? WELL, WE GOT YOU COVERED. I’M JOINED NOW BY DOCTOR MELISSA BROWN, UPMC CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. DOCTOR BROWN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. YEAH, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU. SO I WANT TO BEGIN HERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE PEOPLE MULTITASK ALL THE TIME AND PEOPLE ARE JOKING AND THEY JOKINGLY SAY, I HAVE ADHD BECAUSE THEIR ATTENTION IS HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE. SO CAN YOU GIVE US A REAL TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF WHAT ADHD IS, AND HOW DOES SOMEONE ACTUALLY GET DIAGNOSED? YES. AND SOME OF THOSE SYMPTOMS THAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED, INATTENTION, LACKING FOCUS. AND SOMETIMES THAT HAPPENS TO ALL OF US. BUT WHAT WE WE DIAGNOSE ADHD, WE SEE THIS AS A PERSISTENT SEVERE IMPACT ON SOMEONE’S FUNCTIONING ACROSS DOMAINS. SO THAT COULD BE THAT MEANS CROSS DOMAINS OF SCHOOL SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AS WELL AS COMMUNITY AND HOME. AND SOME OF THOSE SYMPTOMS TO LOOK FOR OF COURSE ARE MISSING DETAILS OF WORK NOT SEEMINGLY LIKE LISTENING, LIKE THEY’RE BEING AS YOU’RE SPEAKING TO THEM, FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH DIRECTIONS IS REALLY HARD. OR FINISHING TASKS FORGETTING THINGS RUNNING AROUND LIKE THEY’RE DRIVEN BY A MOTOR OR FIDGETING OR SQUIRMING AND AND SOMETIMES EVEN JUST THOSE DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES OF OF WANDERING OFF AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND NOT REALIZING THAT THEY MIGHT BE IN DANGER, SUCH AS NOT WATCHING WHERE THEY’RE GOING WHEN THEY’RE CROSSING A STREET OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. YEAH. SO TAKING A LOOK AT AGE, DOES THIS TYPICALLY GET DISCOVERED DURING SCHOOL AGE, OR DOES THIS TYPICALLY APPEAR LATER IN ADULTHOOD OR DOES IT ALL REALLY DEPEND ON THE INDIVIDUAL? IT TYPICALLY GETS DIAGNOSED IN IN CHILDHOOD AND YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEEING A LOT MORE ADULTS GET DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY WERE MISSED AS CHILDREN AND BECAUSE OF SCHOOL TASKS. AND THE REQUIREMENT TO SIT STILL FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND, AND PAY ATTENTION AND FOCUS. AND AGAIN, THOSE ATTENTION TO DETAILS AND THOSE DEMANDS, THEY THEY CERTAINLY TAX OUR YOUNG BRAINS AND THEY CERTAINLY TAX THE BRAIN WITH OF A CHILD WITH ADHD. SO I WANT TO GO BACK BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING IN THAT FIRST ANSWER. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SIGNS AGAIN, BOTH FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS THAT THEY MAY HAVE ATTENTION PROBLEMS AND THAT IT ISN’T JUST SOMETHING MOMENTARY, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY LONG LASTING, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT’S HARD TO TELL WHETHER I’M JUST DEALING WITH SOMETHING I’M TIRED OR WHETHER THIS IS ACTUALLY A CONSISTENT PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS SOMETHING WE’RE GOING TO SEE YEAR AFTER YEAR. TEACHERS, OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE SHARING THEIR CONCERNS WITH YOU, AND YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR THE SAME MESSAGES ABOUT YOUR CHILD. AND AGAIN, THIS ISN’T JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE OR AFTER A SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN THE CHILD’S LIFE, OR A WEEK OF NOT SLEEPING WELL. THIS IS A PERSISTENT DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER. HOW LONG IS IT PERSISTENT OR HOW LONG? I SHOULD SAY, DO YOU HAVE TO SEE IT CONSISTENTLY HAPPENING BEFORE YOU SAY, OKAY, MAYBE WE NEED TO TALK TO THE DOCTOR? WELL, I CAN TALK TO PARENTS AND I TALK TO THEM ABOUT LOOKING AT HOW LONG HAS THE CHILD BEEN IN SCHOOL AND WHERE ARE WE SEEING THESE SYMPTOMS? ARE WE JUST SEEING IT IN SCHOOL OR ARE WE SEEING IT ACROSS THOSE BROAD DOMAINS THAT I TALKED ABOUT AND DID IT JUST CROP UP, OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT MIGHT BE GOING ON? BECAUSE OF COURSE, WE ALWAYS WANT TO RULE OUT OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS LIKE A, A HEARING ISSUE OR A VISUAL ISSUE OR OTHER MEDICAL CONCERN THAT A PEDIATRICIAN CAN CERTAINLY HELP PARSE APART FROM ADHD. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMEONE WHO IS ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED ONCE THEY’VE BEEN DIAGNOSED, WHAT HAPPENS FROM THERE? WHAT TYPE OF TREATMENT GOES INTO HELPING SOMEONE MANAGE THEIR ADHD? DO BEST WITH A DUAL PRONG APPROACH, MEANING THEY THEY DO BEST WITH MEDICATION AND BEHAVIORAL THERAPY. SO WE KNOW THAT THE BRAIN NEEDS SOME SUPPORT IN THIS. THIS NEURAL NEURO BIOLOGICAL DISORDER THAT IMPACTS OUR KID’S ABILITY TO FUNCTION. AND PLAN. AND SO WE NEED SOME HELP AND SUPPORT IN THAT WAY. AND AND WHEN WE CAN GET THE CHILD’S BRAIN TO HELP AND RESPOND WITH THE MEDICATION, THEN OF COURSE WE CAN SUPPLEMENT IT AND FOLLOW UP WITH THAT BEHAVIORAL THERAPY WHERE WE CAN HELP BUILD THEIR SELF-ESTEEM AND HELP THEM LEARN SKILLS AND OTHER STRATEGIES TO MANAGE THE FIDGETS THAT THEY MIGHT GET, OR THE INATTENTION OR THE FOCUS, AND ADDITIONALLY SUPPORT OUR PARENTS BECAUSE IT IS IT IS A MULTIPLE. WE NEED MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED IN A CHILD’S LIFE TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL. YEAH, SUPPORT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. NOW, ACCORDING TO THE UPMC, WE WERE JUST SPEAKING ABOUT TREATMENT. THERE HAVE BEEN MEDICATION SHORTAGES FOR ADHD IN RECENT MONTHS. SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THIS IS HAPPENING AND ARE THERE OTHER THERAPIES AVAILABLE AND HOW INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES CAN ACTUALLY DEAL WITH THESE SHORTAGES IF THEY NEED THE MEDICATION? YEAH, THOSE SHORTAGES ARE REAL. CERTAINLY THEY HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME NOW, AND IT IS A STRUGGLE FOR SOME FAMILIES. AND AND THAT’S BECAUSE THESE MEDICATIONS ARE HIGHLY REGULATED BY THE FDA AND THOSE MANUFACTURERS THAT PRODUCE THEM CAN ONLY PRODUCE A CERTAIN AMOUNT. AND A QUANTITY OF THE MEDICATION, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. AND I MY UNDERSTANDING IS FDA HAS JUST GIVEN APPROVAL TO MANY OF THOSE MANUFACTURERS TO INCREASE THAT, THAT DEMAND TO INCREASE THE PRODUCTION, TO HELP MAYBE MEET THE DEMAND. ALSO, WE ARE SEEING THAT DIAGNOSIS HAPPEN MORE OFTEN AS WELL. AND SO, YOU KNOW, MEDICATION ISN’T THE ONLY ROUTE. YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP THAT CHILD. AGAIN, LIKE THE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY AND LEARNING INTERVENTIONS IN SCHOOL AND, AND THOSE WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP THAT CHILD BE SUCCESSFUL. BUT BUT FOR THE MOST PART, MEDICATION AND THAT THAT THERAPY ARE THE BEST COMBINATION AND SOMETIMES DOCTORS ARE ABLE TO LOOK AT ALTERNATE MEDICATIONS THAT MAYBE AREN’T AS IN HIGH DEMAND. AGAIN, THERE’S LOTS OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO THAT DECISION MAKING. SO I’M CURIOUS CULTURALLY, DO YOU SEE A STIGMA SURROUNDING ADHD OR HAS IT BECOME SO MAINSTREAM THAT PEOPLE DON’T REALLY THINK ABOUT IT AS DIFFERENT ANYMORE? WELL, I THINK WE’RE WE’RE CERTAINLY STARTING TO NOT SEE IT AS DIFFERENT, BUT I THINK IT’S STILL MISUNDERSTOOD. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, AGAIN, AS YOU STARTED OUT, WE THE NOMENCLATURE IS, OH, I HAD AN ADHD MOMENT BECAUSE I GOT DISTRACTED BY THE SQUIRRELS OR WHATEVER IS HAPPENING GOING ON IN OUR LIVES BECAUSE WE ALL LIVE VERY BUSY LIVES AND MANY OF US TRY TO MULTITASK. AND AND THAT’S NOT GREAT AT ALL. HOWEVER, I THINK THAT WE’RE GETTING BETTER AT RECOGNIZING AND APPRECIATING THAT THIS IS A DISORDER THAT IS LEGITIMATE AND IT NEEDS SUPPORT. YEAH. AND JUST TO WRAP UP HERE, YOU SPEAK OF SUPPORT. SUPPORT IS SO IMPORTANT. WHAT CAN FAMILY, FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES DO TO SUPPORT THOSE WITH ADHD IN THEIR LIVES? I’M A HUGE PROPONENT OF EDUCATION, SO LEARN ABOUT THE DIAGNOSIS, LEARN ABOUT WHAT YOUR CHILD BENEFITS FROM THE BEST BECAUSE EVERY CHILD’S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AND FIND THOSE STRATEGIES AND INTERVENTIONS AND CONNECT WITH THOSE PROFESSIONALS AND CREATE A COMMUNITY FOR YOURSELF. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT IS ONE OF THE BEST APPROACHES TO SUPPORT EDUCATION AND A GOOD COMMUNITY. IT GOES A LONG WAY. DOCTOR MELISSA BROWN FROM UPMC CLINICAL PSYCHOL