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ADHD burden of illness in older adults: a life course perspective

Abstract

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.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • Category Brief Communication
  • Pages 1-5
  • DOI 10.1007/s11136-011-9981-9
  • Authors
    • Meryl Brod, The Brod Group, 219 Julia Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941, USA
    • Eva Schmitt, Institute on Aging, 3575 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
    • Marc Goodwin, University of California Berkeley, 325 Kroeber Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
    • Paul Hodgkins, Shire Pharmaceuticals, 725 Chesterbrook Blvd., Wayne, PA 19087-5637, USA
    • Gwendolyn Niebler, Cephalon, Inc., 41 Moores Road, Frazer, PA 19355, USA