ADHD in Adults

When people think about ADHD, they usually consider it a childhood problem. However, a large proportion – between 30 per cent and 70 per cent – of children with the condition remain affected throughout adulthood.

In the late 1970s, the first studies were done into adult ADHD. Individuals were retrospectively diagnosed in their childhood through assessment by interview. As a result, standardised criteria were set down to help specialists diagnose ADHD in adults, called the Utah Criteria. These, and other newer tools such as the Conners Rating Scale and the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Scale, combine data on personal history and current symptoms.

In general, adults with the condition will not have considered ADHD as an explanation for their problems, which may include poor organizational skills, bad time-keeping and lack of sustained attention. Their everyday lives can be full of challenges that are not experienced by adults without the disorder, so diagnosis can be a great relief.

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Risk Factors for Bipolar Disorder

Between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 Americans are thought to suffer from bipolar disorder. Estimates of the lifetime risk for the disorder run between 1.0 – 1.5%. There is some indication that the incidence of bipolar disorder may be increasing, but more research is needed to confirm this. There is no one specific cause of Bipolar Disorder. However, it has been determined it has both genetic and environmental components.

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