NIMH Twitter Chat on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

April 26, 2013 • Science Update

Join us Friday, May 3, from 11 am to noon EST, for a discussion of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to help commemorate National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day  on May 9. NIMH’s own Ben Vitiello, M.D, from the Child and Adolescent Treatment and Preventive Intervention Research Branch, will field questions regarding ADHD in children and teens.

It’s normal for children to be inattentive, hyperactive or impulsive sometimes, but these behaviors are more severe and frequent in children with ADHD. This common mental disorder in children and adolescents continues through adulthood. Although treatments relieve many of the disorder’s symptoms, there is no cure. With treatment, most people with ADHD can be successful in school and lead productive lives. Researchers are developing more effective treatments and interventions, and using new tools such as brain imaging, to better understand the disorder and to find more effective ways to treat and prevent it.

National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day is a national campaign coordinated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to increase public awareness that positive mental health is essential for a child’s development. Local, state and federal partners include advocacy groups, government agencies, service organizations, professional groups and affiliates. This year SAMHSA hopes to increase community involvement by engaging local groups in a national conversation about the importance of children's social and emotional well-being. Local groups are also encouraged to offer individuals attending Awareness Day events an opportunity to become a "hero of hope" by making a pledge to take action to help a child or youth.

You can find this discussion under #NIMHchats. An archive of the chat will be posted shortly after the event.

Read more about ADHD.