New study links ADHD to social and economic disadvantage

Children's likelihood of being affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be linked to their social and economic status, according to new research.

A team led by the University of Exeter Medical School reached this conclusion after analysing data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a database of more than 19,500 UK children born between 2000 and 2002.

More children with ADHD were found to come from families below the poverty line than the UK population as a whole. Average family incomes for households whose children were affected by ADHD was 324 pounds per week, compared to 391 pounds for those whose children were not.

Meanwhile, the odds of parents in social housing having a child with ADHD was roughly three times greater than for those who owned their own homes.

Dr Ginny Russell of the University of Exeter Medical School said: "It's important to discover more about the causes of this disorder so that we can look towards prevention and so that we can target treatment and support effectively."

ADHD is the most common behavioural disorder in the UK, affecting between two and five percent of school-aged children and young people, according to official estimates.