ADHD: The Basics

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Hypersensitivity and Sleep Problems. Children with ADHD are often hypersensitive to sights, sounds, and touch. They may complain excessively about stimuli that seem low key or bland to others. Many children with ADHD have trouble sleeping through the night.

Adult ADHD

Although ADHD is primarily thought of as a childhood disorder, it can also be diagnosed in adults. ADHD affects about 4.1% of adult men and women ages 18 - 44 years in a given year.

Accompanying Mental Health Disorders. About 20% of adults with ADHD also have major depression or bipolar disorder. Up to 50% have an anxiety disorder. Bipolar disorder plus ADHD can be very difficult to differentiate from ADHD alone in adults, as well as in children.

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Accompanying Learning Disorders. About 20% of adults with ADHD have learning disorders, usually dyslexia and auditory processing problems.

Effect on Work. Compared to adults without ADHD, those with the condition tend to reach lower educational levels, earn less money, and be fired more often. They may also be more likely to be self-employed.

Substance Abuse. About 1 in 5 adults with ADHD also contend with substance abuse. Studies indicate that adolescents with ADHD are twice as likely to smoke cigarettes as their peers who do not have ADHD. Cigarette smoking during adolescence is a risk factor for the development of substance abuse in adulthood.

Review Date: 01/27/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).