Prevalence of Undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Primary pharmacologic interventions include stimulants and non-stimulants. Diagnosing ADHD is typically more difficult in women due to a range of different symptoms between the sexes. Although ADHD has had more advocacy recently, misdiagnoses are still common, resulting in ADHD being mistaken for other disorders. This study aims to decipher the prevalence of undiagnosed ADHD.

A web-based survey was administered, comprising of a questionnaire derived from the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-V1.1), and two additional questions formulated to determine whether the individual was initially diagnosed with ADHD and whether they take medications for it. The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale is split into two parts where part A determines the symptoms and part B further probes into specific symptoms.

Amongst the cohort of 200, the percentage undiagnosed ADHD was 14%. 61% were women, while 39% were men. The first two questions on the ASRS-V1.1, pertaining to task completion, were the most statistically significant results.

Although advocacy for ADHD has increased in the last twenty years, our study found that 14% of a layperson cohort are undiagnosed with ADHD. It appears that undiagnosed ADHD is more prevalent in women compared to men.