Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults: Clinical Information for Primary Care Physicians

This article is intended to help the primary care physician (PCP) recognize attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and to assess treatment options. Although ADHD was originally considered a childhood disorder, there is now growing recognition that most individuals diagnosed in childhood continue to have significant symptoms throughout their life cycle. ADHD may impair adults socially and occupationally and is associated with behaviors that place them at increased medical risk. Accurate diagnosis remains a challenge. While the media and medical literature are now flooded with information about how to treat ADHD in adults, there is relatively little information about deciding whom and when to treat. This article seeks to provide practical guidelines and advice on how PCPs can detect ADHD in their patients and make prudent treatment decisions."