This paper is a conceptual review, the second in a two-part series. It has no study sample of its own. Instead, the authors pull together research on the genetics, thinking patterns, brain imaging, and treatment of ADHD in both children and adults, and give their expert view.
The authors argue that ADHD is a lifelong condition. Its symptoms and problems often carry on into adult life. They say adults with ADHD respond to the same drugs used in children, including methylphenidate, dexamphetamine, and atomoxetine, and to psychosocial treatments in a similar way. Short trials that compared these drugs against a dummy pill in adults found a moderate benefit (standardised mean difference between 0.4 and 0.7).
The review reports that ADHD affects a smaller share of adults than children (2.5% to 3.4% of adults, against 5% to 6% of children). It notes that many people with ADHD go undiagnosed, including roughly 26% of people in prisons, 12% in addiction units, and 16% in general adult mental health services.
The authors conclude that adult ADHD should be recognised like other common adult mental health conditions, and that failing to spot and treat it harms patients. They caution that findings on adult-onset ADHD are very recent, and that no clinical studies of that group exist yet.
Source: Asherson P, Buitelaar J, Faraone S, et al.. Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: key conceptual issues. The Lancet Psychiatry (2016). doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(16)30032-3
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