Introduction
This guideline provides an overview of the recommended Adult ADHD assessment steps, differentials to be considered and options for treatment according to the best available evidence based guidelines.
‘Mental restlessness’ was first described by Sir Alexander Crichton in 1798,1 while ‘Fidgety Philip’ (a popular storybook character and now also an allegory for children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) was created by Heinrich Hoffmann in 1844.2 Sir George Still’s Goulstonian Lectures,3 describing children with restlessness, inattention and impulsiveness, can be considered the starting point of the description ‘attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder’ (ADHD) as we know it.
The notion that ADHD is a disorder of childhood prevailed until the 1990s. Rigorous research, including longitudinal studies, and public awareness highlighted the presence of ongoing symptoms in 65% of adult patients.4,5 Adult ADHD is now a recognised problem. Associated symptoms of ADHD include behavioural, cognitive, emotional and social problems. Problems with planning, task initiation, task completion, impatience and impulsivity can cause numerous work-related and interpersonal problems.
Click here for the ADHD Treatment Armamentarium in South Africa
Schoeman R, Liebenberg R. The South African Society of Psychiatrists/Psychiatry Management Group Management Guidelines for Adult Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder. S Afr J Psychiat. 2017;23(0), a1060. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v23i0.1060 - An Update on the ADHD Treatment Armamentarium in South Africa., Prof Renata Schoeman
South African Journal of Psychiatry; The South African Society of Psychiatrists/Psychiatry Management Group the Management Guidelines for Adult Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, 28 April 2017_An Update on the ADHD Treatment Armamentarium in South Africa, 2023