ADHD affects nearly 8 million American adults and can lead to increased healthcare costs, higher divorce rates, unemployment and motor vehicle accidents. Yet, the vast majority of these patients remain undiagnosed, with only one quarter seeking medical help for impairment associated with ADHD. Even those patients who seek help often aren't identified as having ADHD.
"The results tell us that we need to do a better job of supporting primary care physicians who are on the front lines of diagnosing adult ADHD," said Lenard Adler, M.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Neurology at New York University School of Medicine. "This disorder causes significant problems for millions of adults and yet their doctors, including internists and general practitioners, often miss it."
A new symptom assessment tool, the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), may assist physicians in evaluating symptoms of ADHD. Dr. Adler and other ADHD experts, in conjunction with the World Health Organization, developed the ASRS.
Key Survey Findings
- Nearly half (48 percent) of 400 primary care physicians surveyed said they do not feel confident in diagnosing ADHD in adults.
- Only 34 percent of primary care physicians report being "very knowledgeable" or "extremely knowledgeable" about adult ADHD compared with 92 percent who said the same for depression and 83 percent for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
- Sixty-four percent of survey respondents indicated they received "not at all thorough" or "not very thorough" instruction in diagnosing and treating adult ADHD, compared with 13 percent who said the same for their training in depression.
- Sixty-five percent of primary care physicians defer to a specialist when diagnosing adult ADHD compared with two percent for depression and three percent for GAD.
- Eighty-five percent of primary care physicians surveyed said they would take a more active role in diagnosing and treating adult ADHD if they had an easy-to-use screening tool.
"Making quality, easy-to-use screening and symptom assessment tools available to physicians and the public will help adults with ADHD receive an accurate evaluation," added Dr. Adler. "These tools could go a long way to help increase confidence among primary care physicians in diagnosing adult ADHD."
Development of the ASRS was supported in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly and Company. The tool will be available online from NYU at: http://www.med.nyu.edu/Psych/training/adhd.html.
Survey Methodology
Four hundred physicians completed the survey from May 14, 2003 through May 28, 2003. New York University School of Medicine Institutional Board of Research Associates approved the final survey instrument. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive(r) for New York University School of Medicine, with support from Eli Lilly and Company. Target physicians were in family practice, general practice or internal medicine and were recruited randomly from the American Medical Association master file. In order to qualify, physicians must have been practicing for at least two years and treating at least 30 patients per week with any combination of ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, GAD or obsessive compulsive disorder. Recruitment for the survey was completed by mail, and the survey was conducted online.
About Adult ADHD
Until the 1970s, ADHD was believed to be a childhood disorder that was outgrown. However, scientists now know that while hyperactivity may diminish, clinically significant inattentiveness and impulsivity can persist into adulthood. In adults, ADHD manifests itself through symptoms including inability to focus, disorganization and restlessness. Adults with ADHD have lower rates of professional employment, frequent job changes, lower self-esteem and poor social skills.
For more information about adult ADHD, visit http://www.adultadd.com, http://www.medscape.com, http://www.webmd.com, http://www.chadd.org and http://www.add.org.
For complete survey results, please contact: Leslie Forte, Chamberlain Communications Group at 212-884-0684 or lforte@chamberlainpr.com, or Nancy Wong, Harris Interactive at nwong@harrisinteractive.com.
About New York University
One of the world's premier academic medical institutions for more than 155 years, NYU Medical Center continues to be a leader in patient care, physician education and scientific research. NYU Medical Center is internationally renowned for excellence in areas such as cardiovascular disease, pediatrics, skin care, neurosurgery, urology, cancer care, rehabilitation, plastic surgery, minimally invasive surgery, transplant surgery, infertility, women's health and day surgery.
Dr. Adler has received research grants and educational grants, and has participated in consulting, advisory boards and speakers' bureaus for: Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Abbott Laboratories, McNeil Pharmaceutical, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Merck & Co., Inc.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive (http://www.harrisinteractive.com) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(r), and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts international research through wholly owned subsidiaries-London-based HI Europe (www.hieurope.com) and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan-as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of local market- and opinion-research firms, and various U.S. offices. EOE M/F/D/V
Contact: Pam McDonnell, New York University School of Medicine, Tel: 212-404-3555