ADHD in Adults Slideshow Pictures Take the ADHD Quiz ADHD Symptoms in Children Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Prognosis of ADHD in Adults

An estimated one-third of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) progress satisfactorily into their adult years, while another one-third continue to experience some problems, and the final one-third continue to experience and often develop significant problems. Many of these negative outcomes are linked to the continued, severe, and persistent ADHD symptoms. Studies are demonstrating that adults with ADHD report similar symptoms as described in children with ADHD, but the daily impact of these symptoms is clearly different. Treatment with appropriate medication can significantly improve the outcome for ADHD. For example, effective medication can be a key factor in the prevention of another psychiatric disorder or of academic failure.

Other significant statistics about adult outcomes of ADHD include that only 11% of adults with this disorder receive treatment, nearly 50% of adults with ADHD also suffer from an anxiety disorder, about 40% have a co-occurring mood disorder, and about 15% also develop a substance-abuse disorder.

Emerging evidence suggests that the combination of medication, cognitive therapy, and life coaching (see Support Groups and Counseling) appears to significantly improve the prognosis of adults with ADHD.