Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Pupils in Primary Schools in Ghana

In recent times, international deliberations have centered on inaccessibility of essential services to persons with disabilities. These systematic discriminations have accounted for high rates of poverty and deplorable living standards among persons with disabilities. Deliberate attempts are being made to safeguard the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. In Ghana, one major development is the implementation of inclusive education, to open regular classrooms to children with disabilities. While much is known about the challenges faced by teachers, in terms of lacking skills, facilities and resources to teach students with disabilities in regular classrooms, little attention has been given to their ability to identify students with disabilities. This case study explored the prevalence, common sub-types and distribution of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among pupils in primary schools in Ghana. The school and home version of the ADHD Rating Scale IV were used to rate 374 pupils by their teachers and parents. Cluster sampling was used to select 15 schools from a district to take part in this study. The estimated prevalence of ADHD was 7% and more boys were identified with ADHD than girls. With regards to teachers’ ratings, most of the pupils fell under inattentive sub-type while hyperactive was the most common sub-type identified by parents. Both teachers and parents identified twenty-one pupils. The need for stakeholders’ engagement on public education on ADHD its symptoms and management, have been discussed extensively.