The prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Iran: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. Children with ADHD may experience significant functional problems. Our objective was to examine the prevalence of ADHD and its subtypes in Iran. METHODS: Pubmed, ISI web of science, psychinfo, Iranpsych, Iranmedex, Irandoc were searched. Irandoc, Iranmedex and Iranpsych are Iranian databases of which the last one is especially for psychiatry and psychology literature. Inclusion criteria were: conducting studies by random sampling, using valid instruments to assess ADHD diagnosis or symptoms,and presenting a prevalence of ADHD or attention deficit and / or hyperactivity symptoms. RESULTS: After quality assessment, 16 studies were accepted. Their estimation of prevalence was different as different scales were used. Hyperactive type was more prevalent in boys, and inattentive type was more prevalent in girls. CONCLUSION: Being aware of the epidemiology of ADHD in Iran helps us to make improvements in planning the allocation of funds for mental health services. Using one instrument in studying the prevalence of ADHD in a population may lead to more precise estimations.