A research team from Arabian Gulf University (AGU) conducted a first of its kind field study in the Kingdom of Bahrain on the prevalence rate of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), in partnership with the Bahrain ADHD Society and the Directorate of Primary Healthcare Centres.

The study concluded that the causes of the prevalence of ADHD among school-age children in Bahrain are still unknown, with the aim of determining the prevalence rate of ADHD and its associated problems among children between the ages of 6 and 12 years.

The research team was headed by Professor of Psychiatry Dr Ahmed Malallah AlAnsari, while the team consisted of Dr Mohammed Khalid Al Medfa, Dr Khaldoon Abdul Razzaq Al Roomi, Dr Wafaa Al Sharbaty, Dr Amer Almarabheh, Dr Eman Haji, Dr Mona Ahmed Almahri, Dr Nabil Ali Suliman, and Dr Haitham Jahromi.

The study used a cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of children attending eight primary healthcare centres covering all four governorates in Bahrain. The total sample size was calculated based on an expected prevalence rate of 5%, with an expected number of 438 children. The research team divided the children who underwent routine health check-ups into two groups: the first included 300 children aged 6-7 years, while the second group included 150 children aged 10-12 years, with equal representation of both genders.

All mothers agreed to participate in the first stage of the interview, where they completed the brief Conners Index questionnaire. Children who scored higher than 15 out of 30 were interviewed by a psychologist, and mothers were asked to fill out the Conners parent and teacher questionnaire.

The prevalence of ADHD in both groups was 4.22%, with 5% in the first group and 2.22% in the second group. The male-to-female ratio was 2.22:1. The prevalence of oppositional defiant disorder among children with ADHD was 52.6%, while the prevalence of conduct disorder was 36.3%.

This is the first national study in Bahrain on the prevalence of ADHD using a two-stage sampling technique, with a prevalence rate of 4.22%, which is a similar rate to other studies using similar methodologies.