Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/12351
Title: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Australian Adults: Prevalence, Persistence, Conduct Problems and Disadvantage
Contributor(s): Ebejer, Jane  (author); Medland, Sarah (author); Van Der Werf, Julius H  (author)orcid ; Gondro, Cedric  (author)orcid ; Henders, Anjali K (author); Lynskey, Michael (author); Martin, Nicholas G (author); Duffy, David L (author)
Publication Date: 2012
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047404Open Access Link
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/12351
Abstract: Background: The Prevalence and persistence of ADHD have not been described in young Australian adults and few studies have examined how conduct problems (CP) are associated with ADHD for this age group. We estimate lifetime and adult prevalence and persistence rates for three categories of ADHD for 3795 Australian adults, and indicate how career, health and childhood risk factors differ for people with ADHD symptoms and ADHD symptoms plus CP. Methodology: Trained interviewers collected participant experience of ADHD, CP, education, employment, childhood experience, relationship and health variables. Three diagnostic definitions of ADHD used were (i) full DSM-IV criteria; (ii) excluding the age 7 onset criterion (no age criterion); (iii) participant experienced difficulties due to ADHD symptoms (problem symptoms). Results: Prevalence rates in adulthood were 1.1%, 2.3% and 2.7% for each categorization respectively. Persistence of ADHD from childhood averaged across gender was 55.3% for full criteria, 50.3% with no age criterion and 40.2% for problem symptoms. ADHD symptoms were associated with parental conflict, poor health, being sexually assaulted during childhood, lower education, income loss and higher unemployment. The lifetime prevalence of conduct problems for adults with ADHD was 57.8% and 6.9% for adults without ADHD. The greatest disadvantage was experienced by participants with ADHD plus CP. Conclusion: The persistence of ADHD into adulthood was greatest for participants meeting full diagnostic criteria and inattention was associated with the greatest loss of income and disadvantage. The disadvantage associated with conduct problems differed in severity and was relevant for a high proportion of adults with ADHD. Women but not men with ADHD reported more childhood adversity, possibly indicating varied etiology and treatment needs. The impact and treatment needs of adults with ADHD and CP and the report of sexual assault during childhood by women and men with ADHD also deserve further study.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: PLoS One, 7(10), p. 1-10
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Place of Publication: United States of America
ISSN: 1932-6203
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 060499 Genetics not elsewhere classified
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 310599 Genetics not elsewhere classified
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 920403 Disability and Functional Capacity
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 200403 Disability and functional capacity
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Environmental and Rural Science

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