Over 80,000 Patients Aged 6-18 Treated in 22 Years
Lack of Response Manuals and Support Makes Teacher Guidance Difficult
The number of children and adolescents visiting hospitals for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has surged by more than 80% over the past four years.
According to the National Health Insurance Service's data on 'ADHD Treatment Patients from 2018 to 2022' released on the 13th, in 2018, 44,741 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 received treatment for ADHD, with 36,469 boys and 8,272 girls. In contrast, the number of ADHD patients aged 6 to 18 in 2022 was 81,512, an increase of 82.19% (36,771 people) compared to 2018. By gender, there were 63,182 boys and 18,330 girls.
In addition, considering frontline teachers' observations that many children and adolescents showing ADHD symptoms do not receive hospital treatment because parents arbitrarily judge them as 'distracted,' the actual number of children and adolescents with ADHD is estimated to be even higher.
The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Getty Images Bank, Yonhap News]
The medical community does not view the surge in ADHD treatment patients negatively. Professor Kim Inhyang of the Department of Psychiatry at Hanyang University Hospital told Yonhap News Agency, "Although the diagnostic criteria have not changed, there is a global trend of increasing numbers of children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD," adding, "This seems to be due to increased awareness of the disorder rather than an actual rise in prevalence." Professor Kim also explained, "Recently, teachers have come to recognize ADHD as a disorder that requires treatment, and the influence of media has helped reduce negative prejudices," further stating, "In fact, ADHD symptoms improve significantly with treatment, and the benefits and satisfaction from treatment are high."
However, it remains challenging to manage students with ADHD in schools. Teachers complain that the education authorities lack manuals or support measures for responding to ADHD-related behavioral issues, forcing them to endure difficulties in class and daily guidance through their own capabilities. Moreover, it is practically difficult for teachers to request parents to seek counseling or treatment for students with ADHD.
Although ADHD counseling is available at crisis student support institutions such as Wee Centers, this is only possible if parents recognize their child's problematic behavior and actively pursue counseling and treatment.
Kim Dongseok, head of the Teachers' Rights Division at the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, said, "When most teachers cautiously bring up a child's issues to parents, the response is often, 'The child behaves fine at home, so why are you making them out to be strange?'" He pointed out, "To detect problems early for the sake of children's futures and to foster cooperation between schools and families, the government must start managing statistics on ADHD and borderline disorders."
An official from the Ministry of Education stated, "Schools identify students who need care, including those with ADHD, but the Ministry does not hold such statistics," adding, "If emotional and behavioral assessments indicate the need for expert help, support is provided to connect guardians with hospitals or clinics, but ultimately, visiting a hospital requires parental consent."
Meanwhile, a survey on teachers' perceptions of rights violations conducted by the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations from May 25 to 26 among 32,951 teachers from nationwide kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools found that 86.8% of respondents answered 'yes (very often + often)' when asked if they had experienced difficulties due to students with ADHD or borderline disorders.
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