We, the undersigned consortium of international
scientists, are deeply concerned about the periodic
inaccurate portrayal of attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) in media reports. This is a disorder
with which we are all very familiar and toward which
many of us have dedicated scientific studies if not en-
tire careers. We fear that inaccurate stories rendering
ADHD as myth, fraud, or benign condition may cause
thousands of sufferers not to seek treatment for their
disorder. It also leaves the public with a general sense
that this disorder is not valid or real or consists of a
rather trivial affliction.
We have created this consensus statement on
ADHD as a reference on the status of the scientific
findings concerning this disorder, its validity, and its
adverse impact on the lives of those diagnosed with
the disorder as of this writing (January 2002).
russellbarkley.org/content/Consensus2002.pdf