Adult ADHD

Most of us have heard of attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (or ADHD in short) in young children. But do you know that ADHD can also occur in adults? This is because ADHD persists to adulthood in almost half of all children with ADHD. International studies estimate the prevalence of Adult ADHD to be around 2.5%. This translates to tens of thousands of Singapore residents.

Risk factors

• Having ADHD as a child
• A family history of ADHD
• Male gender
• Intra-uterine exposure to maternal cigarette smoking and alcohol use
• Premature birth
• Brain injuries at a young age

ADHD sufferers struggle to keep up with work and family commitments due to impaired time management and organizational skills.

ADHD in adults can manifest as:

• Carelessness, making unintended mistakes
• Forgetfulness
• Distractibility
• Inattention, finding it hard to focus
• Procrastination even on simple tasks
• Missing deadlines
• Restlessness
• Talkativeness, tends to interrupt others
• Impatience, being unable to wait in line
• Impulsivity – acting on impulse without much thought

While most of us may immediately identify with some of these symptoms, ADHD sufferers experience them to the extent that it affects their day-to-day living. 

ADHD in adults have been linked to underachievement in the workplace, marital difficulties, increased anti-social acts, low self-esteem and lower socioeconomic status. Not surprisingly, it can lead to other mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and substance use disorders (most commonly alcohol).

Amidst the social and economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is perhaps no better time to raise awareness about this historically under-recognized and under-treated condition.