1. Edward Thomas Lewis III, M.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Attending Physician, Institute of Psychiatry
Associate Director, Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship
Medical University of South Carolina
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Division of Community and Public Safety Psychiatry
2. • Addiction Psychiatry background
• Not subspecialty trained in child and adolescent
psychiatry
• No relevant financial disclosures
3. • Explore background information
about ADHD
• Diagnosing ADHD in Adults
• Discuss common treatments for
ADHD
• Understand challenges in working
with adults who present with ADHD
symptoms
4. What is ADHD?
Consistent pattern of inattention
and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity
that interferes with functioning
and/or development.
Inattention
Hyperactivity
Impulsivity
5. Inattention
Wandering off task
Lacking persistence
Difficulty sustaining focus
Disorganized
Not due to defiance or lack of
comprehension
6. Hyperactivity
Excessive motor activity
Fidgeting
Tapping
Talkativeness
Extreme restlessness (in adults)
Frustrating peers due to elevated
activity
7. Impulsivity
Hasty actions that occur in the
moment
Minimal forethought
High potential for harm to the
individual
Social Intrusiveness
Major Life Decisions
8. ADHD: How Common?
Global population surveys suggest
ADHD occurs in about 5% of
children and 2.5% of adults.
More frequent in males than
females
2:1 M:F in children
1.6:1 M:F in adults
50% of children with ADHD will
experience attenuation of
symptoms as they progress into
adulthood
9. Adult ADHD: How Common?
2.5 – 4.0% of the population
Hyperactive / Impulsive
presentation is more common in
males
Adults with ADHD have 4 – 9x
higher prevalence of comorbid
mental health diagnoses
Bipolar Disorder
Anxiety Disorders
10. ADHD: Risk Factors
Very low birth weight
Smoking during pregnancy
History of child abuse, neglect,
multiple foster placements,
neurotoxin, infection, or alcohol
exposure in utero
First degree biological relative with
ADHD
11. ADHD: Progression of Symptoms
Begins in childhood
Hyperactivity predominates in
preschool-aged children
Most often identified in elementary
school
Inattention is often predominant
12. ADHD: Progression of Symptoms
Hyperactivity may improve into
adolescence and adulthood, but
restlessness, inattention, poor
planning, and impulsivity persist
Substantial number of children
with ADHD will remain relatively
impaired into adulthood
13. Negative Consequences of ADHD
Reduced educational performance
Social rejection
Poorer occupational performance
Higher probability of
unemployment
Interpersonal conflict
More likely to be injured
Traffic accidents
Obesity
Incarceration
Conduct Disorder
Substance Use Disorders
16. Emotional Dysregulation (ED)
Deficiency in executive or cognitive
management of emotions
Self-regulation of frustration, impatience,
anger
Emotional Impulsivity
Mesolimbic Circuitry (“Bottom Up”)
Deficient Emotional Self-Regulation
Prefrontal Cortex (“Top Down”)
Not in DSM-5
35-70% adults with ADHD experience ED
17. Testing for ADHD: Behavior
Rating Scales
https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(09)62182-1/fulltext
18. Testing for ADHD: Behavior
Rating Scales
https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(09)62182-1/fulltext
19. Adult ADHD: Scales and Testing
Role for Neuropsychological Testing
Continuous Performance Test (CPT)
World Health Organization (WHO)
Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale
(ASRS)
Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder
Scale (BADDS)
20. Adult ADHD: ASRS
Six question scale
Designed for community samples
Positive results require follow-up
diagnostic assessment by trained a
clinician
Score of four or greater is positive
23. Adult ADHD: BADDS
40-item screening instrument
Designed for primary/preschool,
school-age, adolescent, and adult
populations
Based on Thomas Brown’s model of
cognitive impairment in ADHD
25. Treating Adult ADHD:
Psychosocial Treatments
CBT
Negative Thoughts
Perfectionism
Over-estimation of one’s
competence
Comorbid Depression, Anxiety
Organizational Skills Training
Data for CBT in children vs. adults
with ADHD
http://namirockland.org/cbt.html
28. Neurobiology of Addiction:
Hijacking of Limbic System
https://www.google.com/search?q=hijacking+of+limbic+system&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwimnp_M-ovfAhVikuAKHbQlCaQQ_AUIDigB&biw=1920&bih=934#imgrc=UDv2lr0cOu8gXM:&spf=1544125201097
30. Treating Adult ADHD: Substance
Use Disorders (SUD)
ADHD has a prevalence of 22% in
adults with SUD
More severe disease burden
Higher comorbidity
Dopamine System
Reward Pathways
Prefrontal Cortex
Medication Management
Strategies
Psychotherapy
Integrative CBT
32. References
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th
ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.
• Faraone, S. V., & Antshel, K. M. (2008). Diagnosing and treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder in adults. World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA),
7(3), 131–136.
• Giulio Perugi, Alessandro Pallucchini, Salvatore Rizzato, Vito Pinzone & Pietro De Rossi (2019)
Current and emerging pharmacotherapy for the treatment of adult attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2019.1618270
• Lopez PL, Torrente FM, Ciapponi A, Lischinsky AG, Cetkovich‐Bakmas M, Rojas JI, Romano M,
Manes FF. Cognitive‐behavioural interventions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD010840. DOI:
10.1002/14651858.CD010840.pub2.
Scrandis, Debra. Diagnosing and treating ADHD in adults. The Nurse Practitioner. 43(1):8–10,
JANUARY 15, 2018 DOI: 10.1097/01.NPR.0000527741.90830.97. PMID: 29240618.
Van der Burg, D., Crunelle, CL, Matthys, F, Van den Brink, W. diagnosis and treatment of
patient with comorbid substance use disorder and adult attention-deficit and hyperactivity
disorder: a review of recent publications. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2019 Jul;32(4):300-306.