China's first nationwide education campaign to raise awareness about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) kicked off in several cities last week .
Children's ADHD care weeks, organised by the paediatric branch of the Chinese Medical Association, will be held at 40 hospitals in 20 Chinese cities this year, with more than 200 mainland experts providing free consultations and health education.
Beijing Anding Hospital vice-president Dr Zheng Yi said the most common misconception about ADHD children affected by it do not have a real disorder, with parents viewing their children as just naughty or mischievous. Many parents think the disorder will disappear naturally as their child grows up. 'And parents who do want to take children to see doctors are often confused about which department they should head to,' he said. 'Even general paediatric doctors who suspect that a child has ADHD have no idea [where] they should transfer [the child] to.'
Zheng, who is also a member of the executive committee of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions, said there were only 300 to 500 doctors in China who specialised in paediatric psychiatry.
ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders and its symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behaviour, and hyperactivity. What causes it is still a mystery but it's four times more common in boys than in girls.
Zheng said no nationwide surveys had been conducted but small studies in different regions had estimated 5 per cent of Chinese children aged between six and 15 had ADHD, on a par with international levels.
However, four-fifths of children affected in China never visited hospital for treatment, he said.