Stimulant and Psychosocial Treatment of ADHD in Latino/Hispanic Children

To examine to what extent Latino/Hispanic children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are receiving treatment and to identify variables that predict treatment with stimulant medication. Primary caretakers of a probability household sample (N = 1,897) of Puerto Rican children aged 4-17 years were administered structured interviews (response rate: 90.1%) from 1999-2000 to ascertain psychiatric disorders and types of services received. Only 7.0% of children with ADHD received stimulant medication during the last year; moreover, only 3.6% had actually continued this treatment at the time of the interview. One fourth or less of those with ADHD received school-based services or psychosocial treatment. The male-female ratio in stimulant medication use was 10 to 1. In addition, only 0.2% of those with no psychiatric diagnosis received this treatment. ADHD and ADHD-not otherwise specified, impairment, and being male significantly predicted stimulant treatment. Children with ADHD in this Latino/Hispanic population are not receiving the most efficacious treatments based on scientific findings and relevant clinical consensus. This population is undertreated rather than overtreated. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2003, 42(7):851-855.