Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and comorbidities in children and adolescents from a Brazilian isolated black community

Abstract

Objective: To assess prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and comorbidities in children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 from a Kalunga community in the state of Goiás, Brazil. Case description: A sample of 204 Kalunga children and adolescents was evaluated based on the responses of their parents/guardians and teachers to the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 6–18 (CBCL/6–18) and the Teacher’s Report Form for ages 6–18 (TRF/6–18), respectively. ADHD and attention deficit disorder (ADD) symptoms and comorbidities were detected in 5.9%, 5.4%, 16.2%, and 15.2% of the individuals assessed, by parents and teachers, respectively. Prevalence of ADD was higher than the national average, while ADHD presented prevalence similar to that of the world population. According to the evaluations of parents/guardians and teachers, the estimated prevalences of comorbid disorders in children and adolescents with signs and symptoms of ADHD and ADD were, respectively, 83%, 90%, 60.6%, and 64% with oppositional defiant disorder and 58.3%, 63.6%, 75.7%, and 80.6% with anxiety disorders. Conclusions: Due to the high prevalence of ADHD comorbidities found herein, further studies are necessary to assess the prevalence of other mental diseases in the studied community. Therefore, deeper knowledge on such a relevant theme can be generated.