Prevalence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Mexican university students

Abstract

Introduction: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adulthood causes relevant deterioration in daily functioning. Specifically, in educational scenarios, complications including an elevated rate of failed courses and desertion have been found. The reported prevalence of ADHD in adults varies widely, therefore studying specific populations becomes important. Objective: To determine the prevalence of ADHD in students at a public university using screening tools to determine the presence of current and retrospective symptomatology during childhood and to describe their sociodemographic characteristics. Method: The study was conducted with a probabilistic sample of undergraduate students (N = 1837), to whom the Adult Self Report Scale for ADHD (ASRS-6) and the Wender Utha Rating Scale (WURS) were administered to determine current and childhood ADHD symptoms. Results: The prevalence of ADHD in the studied population was 16.2%, with a significantly higher frequency in males (22.14%) than in females (13%). ADHD was most prevalent in Biology students (23.7%) and least in Nursery students (9.9%). Discussion and conclusion: Results indicate a higher frequency of ADHD in Mexican undergraduate students than that reported in adult populations of other countries, but consistent with previous reports of Mexican undergraduate students and children. The association of ADHD and difficulties in academic, work, and social achievement in the studied population should be further investigated.