Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder spend more
time playing computer games and watching cartoons than healthy
children, a new study has shown.
It found that they watch television and videos for an average 44.1
hours a week and spend 11.3 hours playing computer games, compared
with 36.4 hours and 4.67 hours respectively for children without
the condition.
One-third of children with ADHD preferred fighting games, as
opposed to one in 10 of the non-affected group. Cartoons were
preferred by 59 per cent of the ADHD group, one-third more than the
other children.
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The study of 24 boys aged eight-12 with a clinical diagnosis of
ADHD and children from a youth group was carried out in Scotland.
The findings were presented at last week's Royal College of
Psychiatrists Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry annual
conference in York.
Its authors found that increased television and a preference for
cartoons was associated with symptoms of challenging behaviour and
that more time spent playing computer games was associated with
teachers' reports of poor social abilities at school rather than
symptoms of conduct disorder or hyperactivity.
They conclude that children with ADHD may be prone to developing
abnormal patterns of media use that are unlikely to benefit their
social learning and may adversely affect their response to
treatment.
