Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood/adolescence and impairments associated with daily life: French data from the European Lifetime Impairment Survey

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has a 3-5 % prevalence in Europe and North America. It is associated with functional impairment and can have a negative impact on social and family relationships and daily living. The experiences of children/adolescents with ADHD in Europe, as reported by parents/caregivers who completed the online Lifetime Impairment Survey (US), were evaluated. The US was conducted in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and the UK to assess the extent to which the daily lives of children/adolescents (aged < 20 years) with ADHD are affected by their disorder as reported by parents/caregivers. Participants to the survey were recruited by email from the GfK Global Online Panel, which consisted of a database of 487,533 members (including 85,512 members in France). The control group comprised parents/caregivers of children/adolescents without ADHD. Treatment for ADHD, as perceived by parents/caregivers of children/adolescents with ADHD, was also reviewed. Data from France are described here. In France, 157 (79 with ADHD, 78 without ADHD) parents/caregivers completed the LIS. Median age at diagnosis was 6.0 years (mean [SD], 6.4 [3.18] years) as reported by parents/caregivers; pharmacological treatment was prescribed for 46.8 % (37/79) of children/adolescents with ADHD. Compared with the control group, ADHD was associated with significantly greater impairment across all domains studied (P < 0.001), except problems in home life. General impairment scale data demonstrated that more parents/caregivers of children/adolescents in the ADHD group than the control group thought that experiences during, childhood/adolescence and unhappy memories would have a negative impact on their child in adult life (29-32 % vs 9-12 %, respectively). Issues that affected school/education were associated with perceived greater impairment in the ADHD group than the control group. Several limitations should be taken into account when reviewing these data, including the lack of questionnaire validation (although developed by expert consensus). In addition, the survey was conducted online and, as such, was more likely to recruit individuals who were well-educated, computer-literate, and willing to participate in the survey. Survey participants may also have had greater awareness of ADHD and the associated symptoms and impairment, and greater motivation to seek diagnosis or treatment, than the general population. Furthermore, diagnosis of ADHD and history of diagnosis were parent-/caregiver-reported and the results may have been influenced by recall bias or subjective reporting given that the survey did not directly assess the opinions of the children/adolescents with the disorder. These data provide insights into the negative impact that ADHD imposes on all aspects of life for children/adolescents in France with the disorder. Moreover, ADHD is believed to have a negative impact later in the patient's life. Further progress is needed in France and across Europe to provide a more effective and consistent approach to the treatment of patients with ADHD and to meet the expectations regarding management and treatment for the families concerned. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.