1 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
2 Expertise Centre Adult ADHD, PsyQ, Psycho-Medical Programs The Hague, the Netherlands.
J Atten Disord. 2018 Apr;22(6):591-600. doi: 10.1177/1087054715610001. Epub 2015 Oct 29.
To explore how ADHD may have affected the lives of older adults who meet the diagnostic criteria of ADHD, but are unaware of their diagnosis. Our second aim was to examine whether the reported symptoms change over the life span.
A qualitative study was conducted. Seventeen Dutch older people (>65 years) diagnosed in this study with ADHD participated in in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed according to techniques of thematic approach.
Seven themes emerged from the analyses. Four themes correspond to ADHD symptoms: "being active," "being impulsive," "attention problems," and "mental restlessness." In addition, the themes "low self-esteem," "overstepping boundaries," and "feeling misunderstood" emerged. The impact of ADHD symptoms seems to have declined with age.
ADHD has a negative impact on late life, and older adults with the disorder may benefit from treatment. Moreover, this study's findings call for early detection and treatment of ADHD in children and adults.
探索注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）可能如何影响符合 ADHD 诊断标准但未意识到自己被诊断出患有该疾病的老年患者的生活。我们的第二个目的是研究报告的症状是否会随着寿命的变化而改变。
进行了一项定性研究。本研究对 17 名在荷兰被诊断患有 ADHD 的老年人（>65 岁）进行了深入访谈。根据主题方法的技术对数据进行了分析。
分析中出现了七个主题。四个主题与 ADHD 症状相对应：“活跃”、“冲动”、“注意力问题”和“精神不安”。此外，还出现了“自尊心低”、“越界”和“感到被误解”的主题。ADHD 症状的影响似乎随着年龄的增长而下降。
ADHD 对晚年生活有负面影响，患有该疾病的老年人可能会受益于治疗。此外，这项研究的结果呼吁在儿童和成人中早期发现和治疗 ADHD。
