A recent Share Post from Japan talks about how ADHD is not always accepted in other countries around the world and the pain that this can cause for individuals with ADHD. This post made me wonder just what people are saying about ADHD in other parts of the world and I went on a search around the internet to find out. Unfortunately, I am limited in searching out sites that are in English only as I do not speak or read other languages. For any readers out there that do or are from other countries, please share your experiences.

Here is some of what I found out:

Canada

I have visited Canada as a speaker for an ADD Group there. Many of the people told me that ADHD was accepted but they felt not as much so as in the United States. They felt that they needed to go to US websites to find the most up to date information.

ADHD Canada: A Canadian Resource on ADD/ADHD

Ireland

There are a few message boards I visited from Ireland. Some people expressed their frustration with finding a doctor that would diagnose ADHD (also referred to as Hyperkinetic Disorder) and one person made a comment that ADHD was relatively new to doctors in that country. There is an Irish National Council for ADHD Support Groups and they have made a statement: "This condition affects 3 - 5% of the school-going population and in most cases, continues into adolescence and adulthood. Frequently ADHD predisposes a person to psychiatric and social difficulties. Left undiagnosed, it can have catastrophic consequences for sufferers and their families, as well as the community at large"

Nigeria

The NISC (National Inquiry Services Centre) of South Africa has a study listed on their site that in which 1384 children were tested for symptoms of ADHD. According to the study, the incident rate of ADHD in Nigeria was consistent with other studies around the world. The study found that males had a higher prevalence rate than females and that the overall prevalence rate was 8%. The study showed that there is "no significant geographical variation on the prevalence of ADHD."

Mexico

In June 2007, Mexico hosted the First Latin American Consensus on ADHD. A team of 125 Latin American neuro-pediatricians and child psychiatrists came together to discuss scientific advances as well as to propose social, medical and economic measures needed to provide fair approaches to diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in Latin America.

Australia

The Children, Youth and Women's Health Service of South Australia has published an article on ADHD with information comparable to that found in the United States. According to this article, ADD and ADHD do exist. There is some controversy surrounding the number of children that have the condition. The numbers range from 2% to 18% of children, however, most of the studies indicate between 5% and 10% of children in Australia have ADD or ADHD.

Additionally, the Attention Deficit Disorders Association of South Australia includes a statement in facts about ADHD: "The 'controversy' of ADHD only exists in the media - the reality of ADHD is accepted in professional circles"