Prevalence and Comorbidities of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Adults and Children/Adolescents in Korea
jeong-cheol seo 1, Duk-In Jon 2, Se-Hoon Shim 3, Hyung-Mo Sung 4, Young Sup Woo 5, Jeongwan Hong 6, Sung‐Yong Park 7, Jeong seok Seo 8*, Won-Myong Bahk 5
1Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Korea, 2Department of Psychiatry, Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, Anyang, Republic of Korea, 3Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea, 4Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital, Soonchunhyang University, Gumi, Republic of Korea, 5Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 6Department of Psychiatry, Iksan Hospital, Iksan, Republic of Korea, 7Department of Psychiatry, Keyo Hospital, Uiwang, Republic of Korea, 8Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Received: December 7, 2020; Revised: March 12, 2021; Accepted: March 26, 2021; Published online: March 26, 2021.
© The Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology. All rights reserved.

Abstract
Objective
This study investigated the prevalence and comorbidities of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among adults and children/adolescents in Korea.
Methods
This study used data from the Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service collected from 2008 to 2018. Study participants comprised patients with at least one diagnosis of ADHD (ICD‐10 F90.0). Prevalence rates and psychiatric comorbidities were also analyzed.
Results
We identified 878,996 patients diagnosed with ADHD between 2008 and 2018. The overall prevalence rate of diagnosed ADHD increased steeply from 127.1/100,000 in 2008 to 192.9/100,000 in 2018; it increased 1.47 times in children/adolescents (≤18 years) and 10.1 times in adults (>18 years) during this period. Among adult and children/adolescent ADHD patients, 61.84 % (95% CI 61.74–61.93) and 78.72 % (95% CI 78.53–78.91) had at least one psychiatric comorbidity, respectively.
Conclusion
Our results showed that the prevalence rate of diagnosed ADHD has increased in Korea; however, it is lower than the global average. Further studies are required to identify and treat vulnerable populations appropriately.
Keywords: ADHD, Comorbidity, Prevalence rate

e-submission

Archives