ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER IN ADULTS

Abstrak

Introduction: Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric disorder that affects daily life function by some conditions, like inattentiveness, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and restlessness.

Discussion:  In some children, ADHD persists into adulthood. ADHD has some bad consequences on adults and could affect their quality of life significantly. Adults with ADHD are reported to be more likely associated with unstable employment, academic underachievement, traffic accidents, divorce, criminality, and even substance use disorder. Males are reported to have a higher prevalence than females. ADHD could be caused by several factors, including genetic, neurodevelopmental disorders, brain injury, and environmental components. Diagnosing ADHD could be challenging due to many comorbidities surrounding the disorder, such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, etc. Moreover, it was reported that some people get diagnosed with ADHD during their adulthood due to prior misdiagnoses. Treatment for ADHD in adults requires pharmacological therapy, divided into stimulants and non-stimulants.

Conclusion: Diagnosing ADHD as soon as possible, giving appropriate treatments, and providing an empathetic environment for the patients will help them overcome the symptoms and improve their quality of life.