J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.
2017 Jul;28(3):183-189. 10.5765/jkacap.2017.28.3.183.
Comparison of Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Depending on the Age of Being Diagnosed in Childhood and Adulthood: Based on Retrospective Review in One University Hospital
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
- 2Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- 3Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- 4Department of Psychiatry, Seonam University College of Medicine, Myongji Hospital, Goyang, Korea.
- 5Department of Psychiatry, Konyang Univerisity College of Medicine, Konyang University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
- 6Department of Psychiatry, Silverheals Hospital, Namyangju, Korea.
- 7Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. mompeian@khu.ac.kr
- KMID: 2389154
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.2017.28.3.183
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
The study aimed to identify the characteristics of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that was not diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, but only in adulthood.
METHODS
The characteristics of patients diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood were compared with those of patients diagnosed in childhood were assessed via a retrospective review of the medical records at one university hospital from 2005 to 2013. If the age at which they were confirmed as having ADHD was less than 19 years old, they were grouped as childhood-diagnosed group (CD); if they were 19 years old or more, they were grouped as adulthood-diagnosed group (AD).
RESULTS
The CD and AD included 50 (46.3%) and 58 (53.7%) patients, respectively. Inattention was the most common symptom in both groups. Behavioral and emotional problems were the second most frequent symptoms in the CD and AD, respectively. The intelligent quotient was significantly higher in the AD than in the CD. The most common comorbidity was depression in the CD and personality disorder in the AD. The most common reason for visiting the hospital was referral by acquaintances in the CD and media coverage in the AD.
CONCLUSION
Clinicians should put ADHD on the index of suspicion when they examine adults with various psychiatric symptoms, because the diagnosis of ADHD might have been missed in childhood and the symptoms of ADHD might have changed as they grew up.
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