Treated Prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Increased from 2009 to 2015 Among School-Aged Children and Adolescents in the United States

Objectives: The purpose of this brief is to describe changes in the treated prevalence of medically managed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among insured school-aged children and adolescents in the United States from 2009 to 2015. We examine the differences between those with employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) and with Medicaid insurance. Methods: We utilized two large longitudinal administrative datasets containing medical and drug claims data on individuals with ESI and Medicaid insurance from Truven Health MarketScan((R)) Administrative Claims Databases. Treated prevalence was measured as the percentage of school-aged children and adolescents enrolled in a calendar year who met the criteria for medically managed ADHD in the same calendar year. Subjects were eligible for inclusion if th weyere aged 6-17 years and were continuously enrolled during a calendar year. Results: The annual prevalence of treated ADHD among school-aged children and adolescents with ESI increased from 4.5% in 2009 to 6.7% in 2015. Among those with Medicaid it increased from 11.3% in 2009 to 13.3% in 2012, and fell after 2012, remaining steady from 2013 through 2015. Conclusion: Treated prevalence of ADHD increased continuously over time among school-aged children and adolescents with ESI, but declined slightly after 2012 among those in the Medicaid sample.