ADHD bij volwassenen

• ADHD is a neurobiological developmental disorder; it impairs functioning and can occur in men and women of any age (children, adults, elderly).
• ADHD is a multifactorial, polygenetic condition that often runs in families.
• Some regions of ADHD brains are smaller and less active, and fewer connections with other brain parts are present when compared to controls.
• ADHD is often present in conjunction with, on average, three other psychiatric disorders. It is also more common in patients with other psychiatric and substance abuse disorders, and in prisoners.
• In contrast to media reports, ADHD in adults is still underdiagnosed and undertreated. Diagnosis can be made reliably by means of a semi-structured interview with collateral information.
• Effective treatment for ADHD is available and consists of a systematic treatment of all diagnosed disorders. Psycho-education, medication, coaching and cognitive behaviour therapy are the cornerstones of treatment. There are apps for blended care in development which may contribute to the treatment arsenal.

Conflict of interest and financial support: an ICMJE form provided by the author is available online along with the full text of this article.