Peter S. Jensen, MD, on identifying adult ADHD

The New York Times’ Dec. 11, 2024, piece, A.D.H.D. Diagnoses Are Surging Among Older Americans, reminds us that Americans commonly see Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a childhood condition, yet it is a chronic condition with changing symptoms as people age and far-reaching implications and comorbidities when left unchecked. Given that the only place our medical providers learn systematically about ADHD is in a child psychiatry residency, it’s no wonder Adult ADHD is underdiagnosed and undertreated.

That’s why we need to raise awareness across a range of disciplines–primary care providers, family practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, internists, neurologists, and psychologists–how to properly evaluate and diagnose Adult ADHD.

Although more than 40 countries have national guidelines for managing Adult ADHD, the United States is not one of them. Fortunately, a coalition of our nation’s top ADHD organizations has an effort underway to develop standards and tools to readily identify, accurately diagnose, and effectively treat Adult ADHD. The ultimate outcome: we will save more lives.

It’s never too late to seek a diagnosis or treatment. If you think you may have Adult ADHD, simply search online for “Adult ADHD Symptom Checklist,” download the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Symptom Checklist, and ask your medical provider to review it with you.

About the Author:

Dr. Peter S. Jensen, M.D.

Founder and Chair, The Resource for Advancing Children’s Mental Health (The REACH Institute), and Director of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult ADHD Project, a joint effort of Children’s Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), American Professional Society for ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD), and The REACH Institute to develop U.S. Adult ADHD diagnosis and treatment guidelines.