Functional Impairments in Adults With Self-Reports of Diagnosed ADHD

Summary & key facts

In a 2003 survey, 500 adults who said a clinician had diagnosed them with ADHD were compared with 501 age- and gender-matched people from a U.S. national sample. Adults reporting ADHD were less likely to finish high school or college, less likely to be employed, had more job changes, and were more often arrested or divorced than controls (for example, 83% vs 93% finished high school; 52% vs 72% were employed; 37% vs 18% had been arrested). These differences were statistically significant and match patterns seen in studies of clinically diagnosed patients.

Key facts:

• The study surveyed 500 adults who reported a clinician-diagnosed ADHD and 501 age- and gender-matched controls from a U.S. national sample.
• The survey was done in April–May 2003.
• 83% of adults with self-reported ADHD had graduated high school versus 93% of controls (p ≤ .001).
• 19% of adults with self-reported ADHD had a college degree versus 26% of controls (p < .01).
• 52% of adults with self-reported ADHD were currently employed versus 72% of controls (p ≤ .001).
• Adults with self-reported ADHD had a mean of 5.4 job changes over 10 years versus 3.4 for controls (p ≤ .001).
• 37% of adults with self-reported ADHD had been arrested versus 18% of controls (p ≤ .001).
• 28% of adults with self-reported ADHD were divorced versus 15% of controls (p ≤ .001).
• Adults reporting ADHD were significantly less satisfied with their family, social, and professional lives (p ≤ .001).
• The diagnosis status was based on participants' self-reports of a community clinician diagnosis; the study did not re-evaluate diagnoses clinically, and the authors note the results are consistent with findings from carefully diagnosed refe

Abstract

Adults who reported having received a diagnosis of ADHD in the community had significant impairment in multiple domains of functioning compared with age- and gender-matched controls without this diagnosis, highly consistent with findings derived from carefully diagnosed referred samples.

Topics

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Psychiatry and Mental health

Tags

Clinical psychology Developmental psychology Psychiatry Psychology