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8 - Diagnosing ADHD in adults

from Section 3 - Assessment and diagnosis of adult ADHD

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2011

Jan K. Buitelaar
Affiliation:
Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen Medical Center
Cornelis C. Kan
Affiliation:
Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen Medical Centerr
Philip Asherson
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
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Summary

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has been relatively slow to acknowledge the disorder's persistence into adulthood, a hesitancy that is consistent with the mental health community's understanding of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). DSM-III was the first diagnostic tool to provide the criteria for an individual to be diagnosed primarily based on the impairment from inattentive symptoms without evidence of hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. Adults with significant and impairing inattentive symptoms often experience specific executive function deficits, including difficulties with manipulating and organizing information. Achieving educational success is a challenge for adults with ADHD, and many present to clinicians with problems related to higher education or vocational training. Adult ADHD remains a valid clinical diagnosis, and the clinician administered interview that adheres to the cardinal DSM-IV-TR criteria for making the diagnosis remains the cornerstone of the diagnostic evaluation.
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ADHD in Adults
Characterization, Diagnosis, and Treatment
, pp. 91 - 105
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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