Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) becomes evident in adults as the external supports from childhood decline and environmental demands of adulthood increase, said Craig B.H. Surman, MD, Scientific Coordinator, Adult ADHD Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
With multiple other conditions complicating the diagnosis of adult ADHD, Dr. Surman said the best tool clinicians can arm themselves with is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.