Maine Ranks High for Attention Deficit Disorder

Maine ranks as one of the highest states in the nation for children and adults diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, according to a new study.

Express Scripts, which is one of the biggest pharmacy benefit management firms in the United States, recently found that there was a 35 percent increase across the state of Maine for the treatment of ADD – ranking it fifth in the country.

The company’s latest drug trend report, which was based on insurance claims, indicates that Maine has experienced an overall growth in the treatment of ADD that is twice the national average of 17 percent, trailing behind New York where treatment has skyrocketed by 95 percent.

The report did not give any explanation as to why the rates for ADD diagnosis were on such an incline; however, medical experts say that it is likely due to more professionals having the expertise to better diagnose the condition.

The Attention Deficit Disorder Association reports that roughly 4-6 percent of the population suffers from this disorder, which was once believed to only impact children. In Maine, nearly 10 percent of the youth are believed to have ADD, with about 5 percent of them taking medication to treat the disorder.

It is worth mentioning that drugs, like Ritalin and Adderall, used to treat ADD have become some of the most highly abused medications in the country.