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Screening for Adult ADHD

  • Attention-Deficit Disorder (A Rostain, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review paper aims to update readers on the importance of screening for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and to provide a primer on how best to screen and diagnose this condition in an efficient and reliable manner.

Recent Findings

The ASRS Screening Scale was updated in 2017 to reflect the changes made to identify ADHD based on the DSM-5 criteria and to reflect our understanding that adult ADHD is characterized by executive functioning deficits that are not explicitly reflected in the DSM-5 criteria.

Summary

The use of the ASRS Screening Scale improves the clinician’s ability to rapidly identify adult patients who require a comprehensive evaluation to diagnose ADHD and/or other comorbid psychiatric conditions. The scale has been validated for use in both the general population and in the ADHD specialty treatment population, which supports its use by both general clinicians and mental health clinicians. Identification of adult ADHD is critical due to the profound personal, familial, and societal costs associated with this condition.

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References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology and Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, One Park Avenue, 8th floor, Room 8-313, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Deepti Anbarasan

  2. NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Michael Kitchin

  3. Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Lenard A. Adler

Authors
  1. Deepti Anbarasan
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  2. Michael Kitchin
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  3. Lenard A. Adler
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Correspondence to Deepti Anbarasan.

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This article is part of the Topical collection on Attention-Deficit Disorder

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Anbarasan, D., Kitchin, M. & Adler, L.A. Screening for Adult ADHD. Curr Psychiatry Rep 22, 72 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-01194-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-01194-9

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