Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in five schools of the San Juan metropolitan area: assesment of teacher's knowledge.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the level of knowledge that a group of Puerto Rican teachers have about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most common psychiatric disorder in school age children.

Method: the design was descriptive experimental. One hundred thirty two school teachers of five different schools (public and private) from the metropolitan area of San Juan participated in the study. Questionnaires administered included demographic data of participants; 29 true or false questions, (obtained from the DSM-IV TR diagnostic criteria of ADHD and other behavioral disorders); and five 'vignettes' of children with common behavioral problems observed in the classroom. Logistic regression was used in the analysis of data.

Results: Thirty five per cent of the teachers reported to have had previous knowledge about ADHD. Seventy two per cent (72) reported a low level of knowledge about the disorder as reflected on the true/false section, while 60% were able to identify two out of three vignettes of children with characteristics of ADHD. No statistically significant correlation was found between teachers' level of knowledge and other variables studied (age, gender, college where obtained the degree, years of experience, the level they teach or previous training obtained about ADHD).

Discussion: The findings evidence the limited information and confusion that teachers have about ADHD. A thorough revision of the curricular content of teachers in training is recommended so that they become knowledgeable about the common behavioral problems that commonly affect children. Teachers' observations are important sources of information for child psychiatrists in the process of evaluation and diagnosing children with ADHD. Therefore, is critical that teachers in the public and private sectors become aware of these characteristics so they are able to identify these children as early as possible.