Adolescence and its discontents: attentional disorders among teenagers and young adults

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is the most commonly diagnosed childhood behavioral condition in the United States. This condition has important implications for and influences on adolescent development and adult functioning including emotional and conduct disorders, poor socialization, and school underachievement. In addition it has only been appreciated recently that some symptoms of ADD persist and can be identified among adolescents and young adults. In some situations, ADD may be newly identified during adolescence. Similar to younger children with ADD, a multi-modality approach to the management of adolescents with ADD is recommended.