Description

ADDEV identifies those sample children age 2 to 17 (and, in 2007, sample adults age 18+) whom a doctor or health professional had diagnosed as having "Attention Deficit Disorder [ADD]" [for 1997-99] or "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] or Attention Deficit Disorder [ADD]" [for 2000 forward].

The Field Representative's Manual includes definitions of these neurobehavioral disorders, but this information was not routinely shared with respondents. The Manual for 1997 states that ADD "is diagnosed by a mental health professional and is characterized by developmentally inappropriate inattention, impulsiveness, and varying hyperactivity." The Manual for 1998-1999 reports that ADD "is diagnosed by an education or health professional and is characterized by developmentally inappropriate inattention and impulsiveness." The Manual for 2000 and subsequent years states that Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder "is diagnosed by a health professional and is characterized by problems with attention, impulsiveness, hyperactivity, school problems, and sometimes aggression."

Comparability

The criteria for diagnosing ADHD/ADD are codified in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

The Field Representative's Manual for 2001 forward explicitly treats ADD and ADHD as equivalent, with the words, "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [also called Attention Deficit Disorder, ADD or ADHD]."

The NHIS questionnaire was substantially redesigned in 2019 to introduce a different data collection structure and new content. For more information on changes in terminology, universes, and data collection methods beginning in 2019, please see the user note.

Universe

Availability

• 1997-2023

Weights

• 1997-2023 : SAMPWEIGHT