When we wrote our book, ADHD Is Awesome, one of the areas we wanted to cover more was the underdiagnosis of ADHD amongst women as well as minority populations. We quickly realized the complexities of both would probably merit their own separate books. White children get diagnosed with ADHD at a rate of 11.5% while Black children get diagnosed at a rate of 8.9% and Latino children at 6.3%. Additionally, studies have shown that Black children with symptoms of ADHD are treated more negatively by teachers and other adults.
We have learned the relationship between ADHD and minority communities is complicated. For example, there is suspicion in the Black community that the ADHD label is being used as an excuse to discuss and pathologize Black boys in particular. So some kids that would really benefit from a diagnosis don’t receive it. Historically, there is also mistrust in the Black community around medicine. In an October 2020 poll, 7 of 10 Black Americans say they’re treated unfairly by the health care system and 55% percent say they distrust it.
A Complicated Issue
This week, we talked to Dr. Damon Tweedy, a professor of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine to learn more. Dr. Tweedy is an accomplished professor of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine, author of two successful books, and a personal friend of ours. He has never been formally diagnosed with ADHD but suspects he probably has it. (Some funny stories about that in the show.) When asked if a diagnosis would have helped him when he was growing up, he gave a unique answer. He felt like it would have helped him put some systems in place, but he doesn’t know if his mother would have accepted it.
“This is a sensitive aspect for a lot of Black families who have kids who go to school where they are the minority,” explains Dr. Tweedy. For most of his life, he was the only Black child in his class among White and Asian peers. Dr. Tweedy expanded on the fact that you’re already sensitive to your child being singled out and the last thing you want to do is make things harder for them.
Changing The Perception
Dr. Tweedy really loves the way we are trying to showcase the benefits of ADHD. There is struggle with an ADHD brain, but we believe there are gifts that can be harnessed. If we can package it differently and change the perception of it, we can create change.
