Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jan;87(1):112-117.
doi: 10.1037/ccp0000353.

Little evidence for late-onset ADHD in a longitudinal sample of women

Shaikh I Ahmad  1 , Elizabeth B Owens  2 , Stephen P Hinshaw  1
Affiliations

Little evidence for late-onset ADHD in a longitudinal sample of women

Shaikh I Ahmad et al. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: Individuals with late-onset symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are presenting to providers at increasing rates. Recent birth-cohort studies reveal evidence for late-onset ADHD, but conclusions are challenged by measurement methods as well as presence of participant impairment and psychiatric comorbidities. We examined the occurrence of late-onset ADHD in a small but thoroughly investigated group of diverse (47% white) women followed from childhood to adulthood.

Method: From a larger, 16-year longitudinal study, a subsample of young women without childhood ADHD (N = 87) was assessed at four time points between childhood and adulthood via a multimethod, multiinformant approach. We used a stepped diagnostic procedure to identify those who initially met symptom criteria for ADHD after childhood and then evaluated them for remaining DSM ADHD diagnostic criteria, including impairment, cross-situational symptoms, and comorbid diagnoses.

Results: Of 87 participants, 17 met ADHD symptom criteria after childhood. Fifteen showed no evidence of childhood onset, 10 showed clear evidence of impairment, and nine had cross-situational symptoms. Of these nine, all but one showed clinically significant co-occurring or preexisting psychiatric diagnoses and/or substance use that might account for ADHD symptoms.

Conclusions: Although 19.5% of women from our subsample without childhood ADHD met symptom criteria for ADHD during adolescence/adulthood, only one showed the needed combination of impairment and cross-situational symptoms without significant co-occurring mental health problems. It is possible that uncomplicated cases of adult ADHD do arise, yet we find little supporting evidence herein. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1a.
Figure 1a.
Inattention symptom trajectory by Wave. This figure illustrates the total inattentive symptom count across both informants by wave for the first three cases. Note that Case C met diagnostic criteria for ADHD-I at both W3 and W4.
Figure 1b.
Figure 1b.
Inattention symptom trajectory by Wave. This figure illustrates the total inattentive symptom count across both informants by wave for the second three cases. Note that Case E met diagnostic criteria for ADHD-C (combined type) at W3 only, and did not meet criteria at W2/W4 due to lack of impairment.
Figure 1c.
Figure 1c.
Inattention symptom trajectory by Wave. This figure illustrates the total inattentive symptom count across both informants by wave for the final three cases. Note that Case G met diagnostic criteria for ADHD-I at both W2 and W4, and Case I met diagnostic criteria for ADHD-I at both W3 and W4.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Agnew-Blais JC, Polanczyk GV, Danese A, Wertz J, Moffitt TE, & Arseneault L (2016). Evaluation of the persistence, remission, and emergence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young adulthood. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(7), 713. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0465 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
    1. Anderson KN, Ailes EC, Danielson M, Lind JN, Farr SL, Broussard CS, & Tinker SC (2018). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication prescription claims among rrivately insured women aged 15–44 years — United States, 2003–2015. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(2), 66–70. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6702a3 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barkley RA (2016). Is there an adult onset type of ADHD? Issues in establishing persistence and remission of ADHD from childhood to adulthood. The ADHD Report, 24(5), 6–7. doi:10.1521/adhd.2016.24.6.6 - DOI
    1. Benson K, Flory K, Humphreys KL, & Lee SS (2015). Misuse of stimulant medication among college students: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 18(1), 50–76. doi:10.1007/s10567-014-0177-z - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms