To assess the validity of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we reviewed
clinical, family, psychopharmacologic, neurobiological, and outcome studies. We found
multiple reports describing adults with clinical features highly reminiscent of the childhood
ADHD. These adults, who are impulsive, inattentive, and restless, have the clinical “look and
feel” of ADHD children. As with their childhood counterparts, many adults with ADHD suffer
from antisocial, depressive, and anxiety disorders. They also show clinically significant�…

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults is a common and underdiagnosed
condition. Moreover, without proper treatment, ADHD continues to produce chronically
impaired functioning and pain. The following four case studies illustrate the importance of a
high index of suspicion and the use of correct criteria when making a diagnosis of ADHD.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasingly recognized as a legitimate
adult diagnostic category. Yet the nature of and comorbidities and adaptive impairments
associated with adult ADHD have received little scientific investigation. The present study,
therefore, compared 172 adults diagnosed with ADHD with 30 adults referred to the same
adult ADHD; clinic who were not so diagnosed. The ADHD group showed a significantly
greater prevalence of oppositional, conduct, and substance abuse disorders, and greater�…

ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPER-activity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent disorder estimated to
affect 3% to 9% of school-aged children and approximately 4% of adults worldwide. 1-3
Although in the past it was thought that ADHD did not continue beyond adolescence, long-
term controlled follow-up studies have shown that the disorder persists in a sizable number
of adults who had been diagnosed as having ADHD in childhood. 4 Longitudinal studies in
ADHD youth show that symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity may decay, but inattention�…

ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) IS ESTIMATED to affect 2%–
6% of adults. The symptoms in adults with ADHD mirror those in children with the disorder
and are associated with significant educational, occupational and interpersonal difficulties.
Double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have established that adult ADHD is responsive to
stimulant medication treatment. New medications and psychotherapeutic approaches are
being developed in an effort to achieve optimal treatment effects in this population. We�…

Reviews the status of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, including the
classification, diagnosis, and treatment of the disorder. ADHD in adults presents 3 major
diagnostic problems:(1) the diagnosis requires a history of ADHD in childhood;(2) ADHD
appears to occur frequently with other diagnoses; and (3) some of ADHD's clinical features
mimic those of other disorders. The author estimates the prevalence of ADHD in adults to be
about 0.3%, which is somewhat lower than the rates of other important adult psychiatric�…