Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a lifelong illness that affects between 5–9 percent of children and adolescents and 1–3 percent of adults. The problems associated with ADHD can affect every aspect of an individual's life and functioning. In children, it typically causes difficulties in academic performance and classroom behavior, and often results in problematic social relationships with peers and adults. Adolescents with ADHD frequently endure social isolation, academic failure and family conflict. In adults, ADHD can negatively affect job performance and marriage. Due to frequent failure experiences, individuals with ADHD often experience low self-esteem and other emotional problems.
The overarching mission of the Institute is to:
- Advance our knowledge and understanding regarding the nature of and interventions for ADHD;
- Provide state-of-the-art, empirically-based clinical care to individuals with ADHD; and
- Train psychologists, psychiatrists and other professionals who care for individuals with ADHD in state-of-the-art evaluation, diagnostic and treatment procedures.
The Institute emphasizes the integration of its research, clinical and training components. We focus on the development and/or investigation of new interventions for ADHD, both pharmacological and psychosocial. Efficacious treatments are incorporated into our clinical services and our training and teaching curricula. The treatments provided in our ADHD Service are continually evaluated to ensure their clinical effectiveness with individual patients, and to generate heuristic information that leads to testable hypotheses. Under the director, Howard Abikoff, Ph.D., Pevaroff Cohn Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the Institute focuses on the effect of ADHD throughout life, and on common co-morbid conditions, such as learning disabilities, conduct problems and depression.
