Why might ADHD not be Over-Diagnosed?

Although the number of those diagnosed with ADHD in the US seems to be very high, it actually is on the lower spectrum throughout the world. "A review of the literature shows that the United States is actually on the lower end of the prevalence range across the world," says Myron Genel, M.D., a professor of pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine. Germany shows prevalence rates of 9.6 percent, Puerto Rico shows rates as high as 16.1 percent. These numbers compared to the 6.1 percent in the US shows that ADHD may in fact not be over-diagnosed.
Another issue regarding the diagnosis of ADHD is the use of stimulants to treat patients. Although the use of these drugs seems to be a bit scary to some, the abuse of these drugs is very low. For instance a study on the use of Ritalin by The Journal of the American Medical Association has shown "Reports of methylphenidate abuse by patients with ADHD or their families have been rare, with only four total cases reported in the studies." With over 60 percent of children being prescribed Ritalin or other medications to treat ADHD that is a very low number. This shows that the argument against the use of these drugs to treat the disorder seem to hold little ground, especially considering the help these medications give those that take them. I myself take Ritalin and find it to be a great help, not only in my work ethic, but also with my relationships and general well-being.
Although there seems to be a lot of evidence pointing to the fact that ADHD is over-diagnosed, not much of the data is conclusive. The most likely reason people believe ADHD is over-diagnosed is because of how sensationalized this idea has been spread throughout the media. The portrayals given by the media of these false positive diagnoses give people a biased look at the actual percentage of those given false positive diagnoses. The other side of the argument simply isn't portrayed in the media.
The issue of the criteria used to diagnose the disorder being too lenient has also been addressed. "It is widely stressed that changes in DSM-5 are intended to and will reduce clinician subjectivity in the diagnostic process and increase diagnostic reliability by providing additional behavioral descriptions that include developmentally appropriate examples. It is also emphasized that just because many of the behaviors viewed as ADHD symptoms are commonplace is not a sound reason to question the validity of ADHD diagnoses." (Cheng)

So is ADHD over-diagnosed? After doing the research it seems to me to be. What do you think? Share in the comments what you think.

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