11 However, unlike ADHD, attention fatigue is proposed to be a temporary condition when the deliberate attention mechanism has an opportunity to rest, fatigue dissipates and behavior and performance improve. Indeed, the symptoms of ADHD and “attention fatigue” so closely mirror each other that the Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale has been used as a measure of attention fatigue. 9, 10 After prolonged or intense use of this mechanism, fatigue sets in, and it becomes increasingly difficult to pay attention and inhibit impulses that is, the behavior and performance of individuals without ADHD temporarily take on many of the characteristic patterns of ADHD. Environmental psychologist Stephen Kaplan has proposed that tasks and situations that require one to deliberately direct attention or inhibit unwanted stimuli, thoughts, or impulses draw on a shared mechanism that is subject to fatigue. Substantial research conducted among non-ADHD populations has shown that “symptoms” of ADHD-inattention and impulsivity-are reduced after exposure to natural views and settings. NATURE AND ADHD “SYMPTOMS” IN NON-ADHD POPULATIONS If controlled experiments and clinical trials bear out this potential, such natural treatments promise to supplement current approaches to managing ADHD, with the advantages of being widely accessible, inexpensive, nonstigmatizing, and free of side effects. The findings outlined here, taken in the context of previous research, suggest that common after-school and weekend activities conducted in relatively natural outdoor environments may be widely effective in reducing ADHD symptoms. In this article, we report the results of 1 in a series of studies exploring a possible new treatment for ADHD. 4– 7 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has labeled ADHD “a serious public health problem,” 8 citing “the large estimated prevalence of the disorder the significant impairment in the areas of school performance and socialization the chronicity of the disorder the limited effectiveness of current interventions to attend to all the impairments associated with ADHD and the inability to demonstrate that intervention provides substantial benefits for long-term outcomes.” 8(p1) Unfortunately, current ADHD treatments fall far short of ideal, offering only limited relief from symptoms and often involving serious side effects. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “if untreated, a person with ADHD will struggle with impairments in crucial areas of life, including relationships with peers and family members, and performance at school or work.” 2(p1) 3 ADHD exacts a substantial toll on afflicted individuals and often persists into adulthood. 2 Recent statistics indicate that, among children aged 6 to 11 years, the incidence of ADHD is approximately 7%. 1 It manifests as an unusually high and chronic level of inattention, impulsivity/hyperactivity, or both, and it may affect more than 2 million school-aged children. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood.
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