October is ADHD Awareness Month: Here’s an Overview of the Occasion and Condition
- wrsartor
- Oct 2, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 11, 2024
By Will Sartor
This October marks the twentieth ADHD Awareness Month. Started in 2004 by a collection of organizations, including the ADHD Coaches Organization, Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), the month intends to improve public understanding of the developmental disorder.
ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, was discovered by a Scottish doctor named Sir Alexander Crichton in 1798. In the early twentieth century, numerous European researchers added to the body of knowledge regarding the condition. The American Psychological Association first recognized ADHD in the second edition of its “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” which was published in 1968.
The condition is characterized by difficulty concentrating and focusing, as well as hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Oftentimes, a person with ADHD may only experience one of those two symptoms, or different symptoms altogether. It’s estimated that anywhere from three to five percent of Americans have ADHD, making it one of the most common mental health conditions in the United States. It’s more frequently diagnosed in children than adults. ADHD is a chronic illness and can be passed down in families. Although there’s no “cure” for ADHD, symptoms can be managed with appropriate social support or, in some cases, medication.
ADHD Awareness Month encourages learning and sharing online and in person. While many people tend to believe that ADHD is a straightforward condition and that they know everything about it, resources spread during October help bring to light new information many people wouldn’t otherwise know about— myself included. For example, did you know that women receive fewer ADHD diagnoses than men? This doesn’t explicitly mean that the illness is less common in women, but rather that, as some research suggests, symptoms may manifest differently between sexes.
This month is important because raising awareness is essential for promoting early diagnoses and developing treatments such as support systems. For more information, check out:
Sources:
ADHD Awareness October 2024. (2024, September). ADHDAwarenessMonth 2024. https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org/
Overview - - - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (2021, December 24). NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/
Roberts, D., & Hullett, A. (2023, June 16). ADHD Awareness Month: History, Mission, Ways to Celebrate. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd-awareness-month
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