Prevalence of ADHD in nonpsychotic adult psychiatric care (ADPSYC): A multinational cross-sectional study in Europe

Abstract

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often persists into adulthood. This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of ADHD in adult psychiatric outpatients in several European countries. Method: ADHD diagnosis was made using the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults, version 2.0 (DIVA), according to criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) and 5th Edition (DSM-5). Results: Of 5662 patients present/approached, 2284 (40.3 %) consented, of whom 1986 patients (87.0 %) completed the study. Based on the DIVA, and applying DSM-IV-TR or DSM-5 criteria, 15.8 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 14.2 %-17.4 %) or 17.4 % (95 % CI 15.7 %-19.0 %) of patients were diagnosed with ADHD, respectively. The prevalence of ADHD was 15.3 % when counting as non-ADHD those patients who screened positive but did not complete the DIVA (DSM-5). Conclusions: Estimates from this study indicate that a relevant part of the psychiatric outpatient care population suffers from ADHD.