PURPOSE: To explore the burden of illness and impact on patients' quality of life (QoL) experiences in older ADHD adults. METHODS: Telephone interviews were conducted with older adult participants diagnosed with ADHD later in life. Transcripts were analyzed following a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Mean age of participants (N = 24) was 66 years, and mean age at diagnosis was 57 years; 68% were men and 63% reported other comorbid mental health conditions. ADHD symptoms reported were inattention (71%), impulsivity (58%), hyperactivity (54%), and disorganization (54%). The majority of participants (63%) experienced an accumulated lifetime burden of illness and reported being financially less-well-off, had lower educational achievement, job performance, and greater social isolation due to their ADHD. Older adults reported significantly greater impairments in productivity (P ≤ 0.02) and a better life outlook (P ≤ 0.05) than younger ADHD adults. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults' QoL suffers from the accumulative negative impact of ADHD symptoms/impairments on their professional, economic, social, and emotional well-being.
PURPOSE: To explore the burden of illness and impact on patients' quality of life (QoL) experiences in older ADHD adults. METHODS: Telephone interviews were conducted with older adult participants diagnosed with ADHD later in life. Transcripts were analyzed following a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Mean age of participants (N = 24) was 66 years, and mean age at diagnosis was 57 years; 68% were men and 63% reported other comorbid mental health conditions. ADHD symptoms reported were inattention (71%), impulsivity (58%), hyperactivity (54%), and disorganization (54%). The majority of participants (63%) experienced an accumulated lifetime burden of illness and reported being financially less-well-off, had lower educational achievement, job performance, and greater social isolation due to their ADHD. Older adults reported significantly greater impairments in productivity (P ≤ 0.02) and a better life outlook (P ≤ 0.05) than younger ADHD adults. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults' QoL suffers from the accumulative negative impact of ADHD symptoms/impairments on their professional, economic, social, and emotional well-being.
Authors: Joseph Biederman; Stephen V Faraone; Thomas J Spencer; Eric Mick; Michael C Monuteaux; Megan Aleardi Journal: J Clin Psychiatry Date: 2006-04 Impact factor: 4.384
Authors: Linda Wietecha; David Williams; Sally Shaywitz; Bennett Shaywitz; Stephen R Hooper; Sharon B Wigal; David Dunn; Keith McBurnett Journal: J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol Date: 2013-11-09 Impact factor: 2.576
Authors: Melissa Grasso; Giulia Lazzaro; Francesco Demaria; Deny Menghini; Stefano Vicari Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-06-23 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Paul Hodgkins; L Eugene Arnold; Monica Shaw; Hervé Caci; Jennifer Kahle; Alisa G Woods; Susan Young Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2012-01-18 Impact factor: 4.157