Explaining the emergence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: children, childhood, and historical change

Matthew Smith

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Abstract

This article argues that the origins of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be traced to the late 1950s, and the emergence of a series of political, demographic, technological, cultural, and environmental changes occurring in the United States. While some of these changes, for example, Cold War concerns about the Space Race, heightened academic expectations of children cast hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive behaviours in a negative light, others, such as the introduction of synthetic food additives in the American diet, increased the occurrence of these very same characteristics in American children. The article concludes by contending that it is crucial to understand these historical factors in order to develop effective and child-centred responses to ADHD.
LanguageEnglish
Number of pages5
JournalMovement and Nutrition in Health and Disease
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Jun 2019

Fingerprint

Childhood
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Historical Change
Political Change
Environmental Change
1950s
Diet
Cultural Change
Technological Change
Demographic Change
Cold War
Food

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • history
  • children
  • allergy
  • psychiatry

Cite this

Smith, Matthew. / Explaining the emergence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder : children, childhood, and historical change 2019.
@article{62b25b15cc674614af770c66ac0ac8f8,
title = "Explaining the emergence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: children, childhood, and historical change",
abstract = "This article argues that the origins of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be traced to the late 1950s, and the emergence of a series of political, demographic, technological, cultural, and environmental changes occurring in the United States. While some of these changes, for example, Cold War concerns about the Space Race, heightened academic expectations of children cast hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive behaviours in a negative light, others, such as the introduction of synthetic food additives in the American diet, increased the occurrence of these very same characteristics in American children. The article concludes by contending that it is crucial to understand these historical factors in order to develop effective and child-centred responses to ADHD.",
keywords = "ADHD, history, children, allergy, psychiatry",
author = "Matthew Smith",
year = "2019",
month = "6",
day = "26",
doi = "10.5283/mnhd.14",
language = "English",

}

Smith, M 2019, 'Explaining the emergence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: children, childhood, and historical change '. https://doi.org/10.5283/mnhd.14

Explaining the emergence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder : children, childhood, and historical change . / Smith, Matthew.

26.06.2019.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

TY - JOUR

T1 - Explaining the emergence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

T2 - children, childhood, and historical change

AU - Smith, Matthew

PY - 2019/6/26

Y1 - 2019/6/26

N2 - This article argues that the origins of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be traced to the late 1950s, and the emergence of a series of political, demographic, technological, cultural, and environmental changes occurring in the United States. While some of these changes, for example, Cold War concerns about the Space Race, heightened academic expectations of children cast hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive behaviours in a negative light, others, such as the introduction of synthetic food additives in the American diet, increased the occurrence of these very same characteristics in American children. The article concludes by contending that it is crucial to understand these historical factors in order to develop effective and child-centred responses to ADHD.

AB - This article argues that the origins of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be traced to the late 1950s, and the emergence of a series of political, demographic, technological, cultural, and environmental changes occurring in the United States. While some of these changes, for example, Cold War concerns about the Space Race, heightened academic expectations of children cast hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive behaviours in a negative light, others, such as the introduction of synthetic food additives in the American diet, increased the occurrence of these very same characteristics in American children. The article concludes by contending that it is crucial to understand these historical factors in order to develop effective and child-centred responses to ADHD.

KW - ADHD

KW - history

KW - children

KW - allergy

KW - psychiatry

UR - https://www.movement-nutrition.de/

U2 - 10.5283/mnhd.14

DO - 10.5283/mnhd.14

M3 - Article

ER -

Smith M. Explaining the emergence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: children, childhood, and historical change 2019 Jun 26. https://doi.org/10.5283/mnhd.14

Access to Document