Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnostic Dilemma with Case Examples

Psychiatric Annals, 2017;47(6):309–314

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) usually is considered a childhood disease, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, clearly mentions that symptoms should begin before age 12 years and cause functional impairment in two or more settings. Contrary to this known diagnostic criterion, clinicians routinely make a diagnosis of adult ADHD, at times without any documented childhood history. This article describes a few cases of adult ADHD to illustrate some key challenges in diagnosing adult presentations of ADHD. [Psychiatr Ann. 2017;47(6):309–314.]