Clinical Characteristics of ADHD in Thai Children
Umaporn Trangkasombat MD*
Affiliation : * Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
Objective : To study the clinical characteristics of children who were diagnosed as ADHD.
Material and Method: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 202 children who came to a child
mental health clinic and were diagnosed as ADHD.
Results : Most cases were in the 6-12 years age group and came from small families with 1-2 children. Males
outnumbered females (M:F = 3.4:1). One-fifth of the sample received previous psychiatric evaluation from
other health professionals but parents needed ‘second opinion’. The most frequent chief complaints were
academic/learning problems. Almost one-fourth of the samples came for problems not directly related to
ADHD. In this group the most frequent complaints were aggressive and oppositional behavior. Comorbidity
was found in 53.5%. More than half of the cases who took intelligence tests had an IQ below 90. Behavioral
management was the only treatment modality in 38% of the sample. In 62% stimulants were instituted either
at the beginning of treatment or as an “add-on” after behavioral management proved to be insufficient.
Among cases that received stimulants, 28% needed the combination of other psychotropic medications, mostly
antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs.
Conclusion : A study of the clinical characteristics of ADHD in Thai children revealed male preponderance
and high rates of non-ADHD presentations and comorbid conditions. Awareness of varied presentations of
ADHD and proper treatment of comorbid conditions is imperative in the comprehensive care of ADHD children.
Keywords : ADHD, Hyperactive children, Inattention, Learning problems, Mental health problems
