From Childhood into Adulthood: The Changing Face of ADHD

Abstract

How common is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and does the prevalence change from adolescence to adulthood?A number of studies have reviewed the persistence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from childhood into adolescence and adulthood as well as how the disorder changes over the lifespan of the illness. Recently, a metaanalysis found that the worldwide prevalence of childhood ADHD is ∼8%, and approximately two thirds of children with ADHD continue to have the disorder as adults. The National Comorbidity Survey is possibly the most comprehensive, up-to-date study examining the prevalence of community-based prevalence of adult ADHD; 4.4% of patients in that study were found to have ADHD. The prevalence of ADHD among adolescent patients seems to lie somewhere between the prevalence rates for children and adults.