Occurrence, Referral and treatment of children with ADHD in Norway (2013-2020) 

Project Members (OUS):  Beate Ørbeck, Kristin Romvig Øvergaard, Marianne Mørdre, Are H Pripp

Collaborators; Stian T Aspenes (National patient registry); Heidi Aase, Kari Furu, and Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud (National institute of public health)

The project aimed to examine the occurrence of ADHD in children and adolescents in Norway, specifically in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), by linking data from MoBa and the Patient Register (NPR) to assess the representativeness of findings in MoBa and any early factors associated with later diagnosis in NPR. These data were linked to the Prescription Database to investigate the occurrence of pharmacological treatment for ADHD and any early factors in children and parents associated with this.

The project supports MoBa as a relatively representative database for understanding ADHD in children and adolescents, providing increased clinical knowledge about the occurrence of the condition and related factors. The project revealed high medication use in children with ADHD, suggesting the importance of further investigation into indications for and follow-up with medication use in clinics. This presents an opportunity to improve the treatment course for children and adolescents with ADHD and the organization of their healthcare services.

Publications:

Oerbeck B, Furu K, Zeiner P, Aase H, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Pripp AH, Overgaard KR (2020). Child and parental characteristics of medication use for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol;30(7):456-464. doi: 10.1089/cap.2019.0019.

Oerbeck B, Overgaard KR, Pripp AH, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Aase H, Zeiner P (2020). Early Predictors of ADHD: Evidence from a Prospective Birth Cohort. Journal of Attention Disorders, 24(12): 1685-1692.doi: 10.1177/1087054717696765

Oerbeck B, Overgaard KR, Pripp AH, Aase H, Reichborn-Kjennerud T,  Zeiner P (2019). Adult ADHD Symptoms and Satisfaction With Life: Does Age and Sex Matter? Journal of Attention Disorders, 23(1): 3-11 doi: 10.1177/1087054715612257

Oerbeck B, Overgaard KR, Aspenes ST, Pripp AH, Mordre M, Aase H, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Zeiner P (2017).  ADHD, comorbid disorders and psychosocial functioning: How representative is a child cohort study? Findings from a national patient registry. BMC Psychiatry,17(1): 23.