“What Is ADHD? A Complete Guide to Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Across the Lifespan” By Iman Mansoor

Maintaining focus and concentration on tasks, especially within professional or academic settings may come easier for some than others. There are various factors that can impact one’s ability to focus during classes, lectures, or meetings including but not limited to; stress, sleep patterns, nutrition, exercise, as well as environmental factors. However, sometimes poor concentration can take to the extremes and make even the notion of completing a task seem impossible, stepping beyond increased levels of procrastination in spite of being well aware of potential social, academic, and professional consequences in the future. Society often labels this attribute as laziness but that may not actually be the case, in fact, this pattern of behaviors aligns with symptoms that underlie a mental struggle referred to as Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, indicating that it is part of a set of psychiatric and neurological-based conditions which are typically diagnosed through symptoms observed during childhood, but these symptoms may remain unrecognized until adolescence or adulthood.  

Prevalence and Significance

Globally, the prevalence of ADHD based on diagnosis in children and adolescents is approximately 8.0% with the estimated prevalence of ADHD diagnosis in boys being 10.0% and the prevalence in girls being an estimated 5%. Another critical trend highlights that boys with ADHD tend to be diagnosed at earlier ages than girls with ADHD. Additionally, ADHD symptoms may change and develop differently with age or in response to other factors. The result may be an increase or a decrease in the visibility and impacts of certain symptoms on the individual’s quality of life.  As of 2020, the global prevalence of persistent ADHD in adults was approximately 2.58% and in symptomatic adults was an estimated 6.76%.

Risk Factors

Certain persons' differences in brain structure and functioning has been attributed to increased susceptibility of exhibiting ADHD symptoms to varying severities. Additionally, research has correlated other risk factors including; family history, preterm birth, neonatal disease, prenatal exposure to toxins (tobacco and alcohol) as well as other environmental factors (i.e. heavy metal, certain food additives, air pollutants, and pesticides), and postnatal environmental factors (i.e. socioeconomic status, chronic stressors, and unsupportive or non-nourishing home environments).

Symptoms

ADHD is primarily characterized by consistent patterns of behaviors pertaining to inattention and adverse struggles to focus, hyperactivity (motor, verbal, emotional, and cognitive), as well as impulsivity or difficulties with self-control. Additionally, this dysregulation in the brain’s various levels of circuitry has also been linked to individuals experiencing emotions more intensely, impacting control over affective responses. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) has been linked to ADHD due to these differences in neurological functioning and is defined by feeling severe emotional pain in face of setbacks, rejections, and failure. 

It is critical to highlight that ADHD symptoms will not impact everyone the same way due to individual differences as well as the previously mentioned risk factors. Additionally, the symptoms that negatively impact the quality of life have been found to vary between children, teenagers, and adults. 

ADHD Symptoms in Children (4-12 yrs old)

• Difficulty with finishing task/ Difficulty maintaining focus on completion of one task or game before moving on to another
• Inattention to details and/or careless mistakes in school work, chores, or games
• Forgetfulness of daily activities and misplacing school supplies, toys, assignments
• Struggling with remaining still or seated at home or in classroom settings (i.e. fidgeting, leaving chair/ carpet during class, leaving bed during bedtime)
• Impatience
• Excessive talking during inappropriate contexts (i.e. blurting out answers without raising hand in class, interrupting speaker, difficulty remaining quiet in required contexts)
• Hyperactivity

ADHD Symptoms in Teenagers and Adults

• Difficulties resisting temptations
• Fear of Rejection
• Inattentiveness/Lack of focus
• Increased procrastination
• Difficulty following conversations
• Fidgeting
• Self-focused behaviours/Difficulty seeing from other perspectives
• Disorganization/ Forgetfulness
• Impatience
• Time mismanagement (impacting academic and professional performance)
• Relationship concerns
• Emotional dysregulation
• Anxiety
• Hyperfocus
• Negative self-image
• Fatigue
• Lack of motivation
• Substance misuse

ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment Framework 

As previously mentioned, while ADHD symptoms present themselves during childhood, it is not uncommon for it to remain undiagnosed into adulthood. Additionally, there is more literature surrounding ADHD in youth. Additionally, females tend to remain undiagnosed for longer periods of time than males (see Prevalence and Significance). 

Due to the dynamic nature of the symptoms and risk factors, the most effective treatment plans to alleviate the impact of ADHD symptoms are multimodal (an approach combining different treatments and therapies) and tailored to individual needs. ADHD diagnostic criteria can be found in the DSM-5 (refer to DSM-5 section; Diagnostic Criteria for ADHD.

Treatment plans may consist of a combination of the following:

• Psychotherapy
• Behavioral therapy 
  • CBT
  • DBT
  • Cognitive Training
• Skills/School-based training 
• Mindfulness and meditation techniques
• Prescribed medications 

Author’s note: The aim of this article was to provide an educational overview on Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder as well as a framework for interpreting  the variability within symptoms and potential courses of treatment. For more information, please visit blog, other resources, or contact us to book a consultation free of charge.