About 4.4% of adults (18 – 44 years old) have ADHD.
Many people are surprised to learn that ADHD can start in childhood and continue throughout adulthood. This is not just a childhood illness. Adults can even develop ADHD after an illness-free childhood.
Some things to keep in mind:
- Adult ADHD rates are increasing 4 times faster than they are in children.
- ADHD in adults is underdiagnosed due to a lack of knowledge about ADHD in adults and the frequency of other common mental illnesses in adults (e.g., depression, anxiety, alcohol use, etc.)
- When other mental illnesses are present in adults, they tend to blame the illness they know for symptoms that could be caused by ADHD.
- The rate of ADHD in adults continues to rise in all ethnic categories and genders.
- Adults with undiagnosed ADHD are more likely to have problems finding and keeping jobs and maintaining relationships (e.g., friends, romantic partners, acquaintances, etc.)
The symptoms of adult ADHD are very different from the symptoms in children.
- Even men and women often have different sets of symptoms from each other and children.
- Diagnosing ADHD in adults is something not all professionals do well. Many are familiar with the childhood symptoms and do not recognize adults with ADHD.
- Finding a professional who diagnoses and treats adults with ADHD is important for a proper evaluation and care.
Before going through the time, expense, and process of a professional evaluation, the following screening tool can help you decide how likely it is that you have ADHD.
A screening tool cannot give a diagnosis. But it will let you know if seeking professional advice is a good idea for you.
