ERIC Number: EJ1440579
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Mar
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1087-0547
EISSN: EISSN-1557-1246
ADHD in Adults: Does Age at Diagnosis Matter?
Chloe Hutt Vater; Maura DiSalvo; Alyssa Ehrlich; Haley Parker; Hannah O'Connor; Stephen V. Faraone; Joseph Biederman
Journal of Attention Disorders, v28 n5 p614-624 2024
Objective: To provide additional information about clinical features associated with adult ADHD in patients diagnosed in childhood compared to those first diagnosed in adulthood. Method: We stratified a sample of adults with ADHD into patients diagnosed in childhood versus adulthood and compared demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: We found similar clinical features in adults diagnosed in childhood and adults diagnosed in adulthood. Among those diagnosed in adulthood, 95% reported symptom onset in youth. Our results do not support the hypothesis that ADHD diagnosed in adulthood is due to misinterpreting symptoms of other disorders as ADHD. They also suggest incorporating behavioral signs of executive dysfunction into diagnostic criteria for ADHD in adults may increase diagnostic sensitivity. Conclusion: These results support the validity of ADHD diagnoses in adulthood, as these adults show similar clinical profiles to those diagnosed in youth. Our results also suggest that if adult-onset ADHD exists, it is rare.
Descriptors: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Age Differences, Clinical Diagnosis, Adults, Children, Individual Characteristics, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Executive Function, Educational Attainment, Individual Differences, Behavior, Validity
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2993
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: U01AR07609201A1; 1R21MH1264940; R01MH116037; 1R01NS12853501