According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 to 7 percent of the school-age children in the United States have diagnosed with ADHD. Drs. Richard H. Weisler and David W. Goodman, in a study published in the Primary Psychiatry Journal in 2008, state that ADHD symptoms persist into adulthood in roughly 35 percent to 70 percent of those patients.
Diagnosing ADHD in Adults
ADHD is considered to be a mental disorder. That is why DSM-IV is used to diagnose it. In order for a person to get an ADHD diagnosis, he must have had ADHD symptoms for at least for six months. These symptoms must have a significant effect on his life at home and work, and the first symptoms must have appeared before he turned 7 years of age. Partners Resource Network states that most ADHD patients are diagnosed at school age. Some patients get diagnosed years later, however. It is especially common for patients with inattentive ADHD, as compared to hyperactive ADHD, to be diagnosed as adults.
Hyperactivity
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, adult ADHD patients have difficulties in focusing on any task. Typically, they jump from one task to another, without getting any of them done. They are easily distracted by stimuli. According to Weisler and Goodman, ADHD patients have profound difficulties with time management. They often leave to work too late and do not get their assignments done in time. Their work frequently is full of mistakes and it often looks as though it was put together in a hurry.
Inattentiveness
ADHD patients frequently do not follow through on instructions. They lose things that are needed to finish a task such as books or reports, and often fail to listen to other people. This can result in problems at work and home. Weisler and Goodman state that adult ADHD patients are more likely to get divorced than people who do not suffer from this condition. According to Dr. L. Eaking and colleagues, adults with ADHD report that they are less satisfied with their marital relationship. The study was published in the Journal of Attention Disorder in August 2004.
Risky Behaviors
According to Weisler and Goodman, it is quite common for adult ADHD patients to engage themselves in impulsive risky behaviors. They state that adult ADHD patients often have careless driving habits. They get into accidents more often, get more speeding tickets and have their license suspended more often than other people. ADHD patients are also involved in crimes more frequently than people without this condition.
Comorbid Conditions
Adults with ADHD often have other conditions, in addition to the ADHD. Among the most common ones are substance abuse. According to a study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism in August 2007, 35 percent to 70 percent of adults with ADHD abuse alcohol. Other psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder are also commonly reported in ADHD patients, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
References
- "Primary Psychiatry"; Assessment and Diagnosis of Adult ADHD; Richard H. Weisler, MD., David W. Goodman, MD; 2008
- "Journal of Attention Disorders"; The Marital and Family Functioning of Adults with ADHD and Their Spouses; Eakin L, Minde K, Hechtman L.; August 2004
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: ADHD
- Partners Resource Network: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- National Institute of Mental Health: Can Adults Have ADHD?
