ADHD is usually associated with grade school children; even the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria suggests that clinicians examine a potential ADHD patient's record in school, and the diagnosis necessitates some ADHD symptomology from before the age of seven. However, there is a growing concern over ADHD in adults which was not detected during childhood; adults may exhibit the same difficulties with attention and perform poorly on the same diagnostic tests as children with ADHD, although they usually demonstrate less hyperactivity.

- According to a report published in May of 2003 in the Canadian Medical Association journal, ADHD affects two to six percent of adults; 30 to 50 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD will experience symptoms which persist into adulthood (Searight, et al., 2000).

- Dr. Margaret Weiss, director of the ADHD clinic for child and adolescent psychiatry at Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia, Vancouver, claims that adults with ADHD have a greater likelihood of "dropping out of school, being fired from their jobs and having marital problems," and are more likely to experience anxiety and depression compared to the normal population ("ADHD affects adults too," 2003).

- Recommended treatment for adult ADHD is similar to that for children; medication can be taken if necessary and cognitive-behavioral therapy can help organizational and coping skills and boost self-esteem.

As research is just now emerging on adult ADHD, many clinicians are reluctant to diagnose the disorder in adults. Why is this so?

• Identifying ADHD symptomology often requires adults to report their own behavior as young children, and the facts may become distorted by memory.
• According to a report published in the year 2000 in American Family Physician, "the family physician's role as diagnostician is further complicated by the high rates of self-diagnosis of ADHD in adults. Many of these persons are influenced by the popular press. Studies of self-referral suggest that only one third to one half of adults who believe they have ADHD actually meet formal diagnostic criteria" (Searight, et al., 2000).
• There is not a standard diagnostic criteria for ADHD specific to adults that is in wide usage.

However, criteria for adult ADHD has been developed and hopefully will become more widely used. The Utah criteria was developed by Wender to assess ADHD in its unique adult form. Wender believes the diagnosis of ADHD in an adult requires:

• A longstanding history of ADHD symptoms, dating back to at least age seven. In the absence of treatment, these symptoms should have been consistently present without remission.
• Hyperactivity and poor concentration

Wender suggests that these symptoms are necessary for a diagnosis, along with at least two of the following symptoms:

• Affective lability (extreme mood swings)
• Hot temper
• Inability to complete tasks and disorganization
• Stress intolerance
• Impulsivity

(Searight, et al., 2000)

Information should be obtained from the patient's spouse, parents, and others who have known the patient for a long time and are capable of supplying information of which the patient may not be aware.

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