Current Suggestions for DSM-V symptom list of Adult ADHD
Professor Russell Barkely et al have put forward the following as possible suggestions for the diagnosis of Adult ADHD.
A. Has 6 (or more) of the following symptoms that have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that it is maladaptive and developmentally inappropriate:
1.Often is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli or irrelevant thoughts.
2.Often makes decisions impulsively.
3.Often has difficulty stopping activities or behavior when he or she should do so.
4.Often starts a project or task without reading or listening to directions carefully.
5. Often shows poor follow-through on promises or commitments he or she may
make to others.
6.Often has trouble doing things in their proper order or sequence.
7.Often is more likely to drive a motor vehicle much faster than others (excessive speeding) [ Alternate symptoms for those adults with no driving experience: Often has difficulty engaging in leisure activities or doing fun thing quietly.)
8. Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities.
9. Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.
B. Some symptoms that caused impairment were present in childhood to adolescence (before age 16 years).
C. Some impairment from the symptoms is present in two or more settings (e.g., work, educational activities, home life, community functioning , social relationships).
D. There must be clear evidence of clinically significant impairment in social, educational, domestic (dating, marriage or cohabitating, financial, driving, child-rearing, etc.), occupational or community functioning.
E. The symptoms do not occur exclusively during the course of a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, or other Psychotic Disorder, and are not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Dissociative Disorder, or a Personality Disorder).
Note: Professor Barkely et al recognise, that what is put forward by some reserachers as a sloggish cognative tempo type of inattentive ADHD, may well be a different or unrelated disorder. They have advised in an email that the DSM-V committee on ADHD is studying the matter of those who are regarded by some researchers as Inattentive with sluggish cognative tempos by either creating a separate disorder with its own distinct symptoms (and a better name). Or it could remain a subtype of ADHD but again make it clear that it has its own criteria for diagnosis. All this will get settled in the next 3 years as they have until 2011 before the final version is to be published.
