ADHD in Adolescence – Change of Symptoms and Consequences for Research and Clinical Practice

Abstract

The study presented examines whether symptoms of an adult ADHD play a role for adolescents affected by ADHD and therefore in consequence for clinical practice if ADHD is considered as a life-span disorder. A sample of N = 140 boys and girls aged between 14 to 19 years was collected from representative data. Connections between ADHD symptoms of adults and life satisfaction and quality of life physical and mental symptoms of adolescents were examined with the questionnaires ADHS-E, SF-12, SWLS and PHQ-15 and PHQ-9. The study demonstrated that ADHD impairs life satisfaction and promotes depression in adolescents. Thus, for clinical practice a new perspective of life satisfaction of adolescents in general and additional mental strains for the adolescent form of ADHD in particular was shown.