Guidelines in the United States for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults: Why They Are Needed

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder that begins in childhood and frequently persists into adulthood. During the past two decades, impairment from persisting ADHD symptoms has increasingly been recognized, and along with it, an increase in the number of adults being diagnosed and treated. Medication treatment of adults with ADHD can decrease the long-term negative impact of ADHD symptoms and behavioral interventions can improve executive function. Educational interventions designed to improve clinician knowledge and practice toward ADHD have been shown to be effective. However, although there are professional guidelines for the assessment and treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents in the United States (US), there are no guidelines for adults. This is increasingly problematic given the large number of adults being diagnosed and treated, and the range of professionals offering this treatment. The development of US guidelines for ADHD offers the potential to improve healthcare outcomes by standardizing care among clinicians with differing levels of expertise. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2023;53(10):461–469.]

Who Provides Outpatient Clinical Care for Adults With ADHD? Analysis of Healthcare Claims by Types of Providers Among Private Insurance and Medicaid Enrollees, 2021

“…As of 2023, the American Professional Society for ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD), 3 in collaboration with Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD), is developing clinical guidance for ADHD diagnosis and treatment for adults (Goodman & Mattingly, 2023). The composition of the professional health workforce who can benefit from this guidance may have changed with increased demand, with more primary care providers without focused mental health training involved in ADHD care (Childress et al, 2023;Sibley et al, 2023); however, the distribution of providers currently delivering care for adult ADHD has not been systematically evaluated.…”