Symptoms of ADHD are highly common in undiagnosed adults – A cross-sectional study in a large population of Danes

Objective: The prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among adults is well established in the general population. So far no studies have addressed the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in otherwise healthy individuals. The aim of the present study is to characterize the distribution of self-reported ADHD symptoms and ADHD subtypes across sex and age intervals in healthy Danes. Methods: A total of 26,217 individuals (aged 18-67 years) who completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale V1.1 (ASRS) were included in the study population. We used logistic regression to assess the association of age and sex with positive ADHD screens across three different ASRS scoring methods. Results: The prevalence of ADHD in the study populationwas 1.1-2.7% depending on the applied ASRS scoringmethod. ADHD symptoms decreased with increased donor age. Conclusion: Severe symptoms of ADHD are not uncommon among undiagnosed individuals. The prevalence of self-reported ADHD varied by the applied scoring method of ASRS.