The Sociology of ADHD in Adulthood

Carter Limb

Introduction

The prevalence of ADHD in society is commonly focused on during adolescence,

effectively resulting in a lack of attention towards ADHD in maturity. Day-to-day

sociological interactions of those with the disorder have not been of concern for the

majority of researchers. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized

primarily by Executive Dysfunction. Executive Dysfunction is a rather peculiar

behavioural phenomenon regarding some sections of the brain. This results in a

multitude of factors such as: issues with maintaining attention/commitment towards

tasks, heightened forgetfulness, and major impulsivity. Misinformation about the

disorder is rather commonplace, so the importance of proper research and knowledge

regarding it are key to dispelling rumors and prejudice. The ADA (Americans with

Disabilities Act) classifies the disorder as a disability. Whilst not seen as a traditional

disability by some, the traits of the disorder can be very debilitating to the individuals

who experience them and do not dispel over time. The intent of this paper is to analyze

the social aptitude of individuals with ADHD and to look into the differences regarding

symptoms between adolescents and adults.

Figure 1: Chart of Different Effected Centers of the Brain by ADHD

Various sections of the brain are affected by ADHD, mainly in terms of a Deficiency in

each area. Multiple of these parts may be affected differently by the disorder, leading to

varying expressions of the disorder (i.e. some being more “hyperactive” while others more

“impulsive”). Moon, R. (2020).

Methodology: Information Gathering

 Information regarding the specifics of this paper is rather strewn and limited in

scope. The concept of social interaction specific in adulthood simply hasn’t been

focused on until very recently. As such, the qualifications for a diagnosis have changed

over the years and understanding of the disorder has evolved, leaving many open ends

(adulthood being such) for yet-to-be research. The majority of sources within this report

have been received from PubMed, a large clinical database that hosts multitudes of

peer reviewed studies on wide varieties of topics.

Results

Social Comprehension in Adulthood

One of the key areas of research regarding matured ADHD is Social

Comprehension. Acknowledged in the paper Social Problem Solving in Adult Patients,

several patients of similar demographics were given a variety of conversation-based

questions. The study consisted of two groups: Individuals with the disorder (ADHD), and

individuals without any disorders (HC).

Figure 2: Comparison of Accuracy between ADHD and Non-ADHD Adults

Comparison bar chart of accuracy in answering questions between those with ADHD and

those without any disorders. Notice the general differences between the control and

ADHD in certain sections. Thoma, P. (2020).

The sample shows very little difference between those with the disorder and

those without. The only significant difference is with the interpretation of sarcasm.

According to the article: “although verbal fluency was not explicitly controlled for in our

study, the overall intact profile of executive functioning in our patients renders it unlikely

that the patients’ impairment on the solution fluency task is due to executive dysfunction.

(Thoma, 2020)” This inherently means that the influence of any persistent symptoms of

ADHD likely did not have a role in the social interpretations done within the experiments.
More specifically, the participants actively volunteered for the study, meaning they were

intent on doing the tasks given to them. The reason this is particularly relevant is that

the willingness for someone to go out and do a study means they would have more

focus and intent on doing said tasks correctly.

Further findings also attributed the lack of symptoms influencing social

comprehension as the development of social understanding throughout childhood,

potentially being more delayed than that of neurotypical children. In other words, those

with ADHD were still able to understand social problems and communication just as

well as neurotypical people, but the understanding was developed at a later stage.

A paper titled ADHD Symptomatology and Social Functioning in College Students,

published in 2014, found that college students with higher ADHD symptoms appeared

to measure out with more social issues, primarily in emotional regulation and

comprehension (Sacchetti). The demographic age of the participants in this was around

18 to 19 years of age, in contrast to the average age of 36 (with a deviation of 10 years)

for the prior study. The range of symptoms for the students was also broader in some

semblance as well.

Difference of Diagnoses in Children to Adults

Figure 3: Comparison of ADHD Diagnoses

Differing levels of diagnosed ADHD in children over the years, showing a trend of overall

increased diagnoses comparing prior National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) from

03’ through 11’, to 16’ through 19’. CDC. (2023, October 16).

As a result of better public knowledge and awareness of mental health, children

have been increasingly diagnosed with ADHD. It is worthy to note that while the trends

of diagnoses are higher, it does not inherently mean that more people have adhd than in

the past, which can be misconstrued as such.

A review by Ginsberg titled Underdiagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity

disorder in adult patients, published in 2014, found that diagnoses of Adults with ADHD

can have other disorders alongside it. This brings in potential misinterpretation and thus

misdiagnosis, as symptoms of the disorder overlap with other disorders. It culminates

into a general lack of diagnoses for Adults due to these mishaps.

Analysis

ADHD in adults generally appears to have a stable social competency overall. Yet,

with potential conflicts regarding differing age groups and intensities of symptoms, It

brings into question whether age may be resulting in different data or if it may be due to

the differing symptoms. Regardless, the way in which ADHD develops over time appears

to become better handled over someone’s lifetime. It may be why adults have less

diagnoses than children, as the symptoms may be exhibited in different ways. This

would create the asymmetry of ADHD diagnoses between adolescents and adults.

Those that mature and weren’t diagnosed may find themselves either misdiagnosed for

something else, or may not realize/recognize the symptoms due to potentially learning

how to cope with such issues.

Conclusions

ADHD is characterized by issues with impulsivity and trouble with focus.

Research into the social nature of the disorder is lacking in adulthood. Symptomatology

of the disorder appears to affect younger individuals more so than older individuals.

Diagnoses of ADHD between children and adults show a difference in percentage, of

which both have been increasing over the past few decades. Overall, the field needs a

lot more research done in order to determine what and how the brain and the individual

learn to cooperate in daily life. Insights into this research could include: understanding

how to help those that struggle with the disorder in their later years, educating

misinformed individuals, and helping with better compensations for ADHD individuals

for companies.
 References

CDC. (2023, October 16). Data and statistics about ADHD. Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, September 27). What is ADHD?.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html

Ginsberg, Y., Quintero, J., Anand, E., Casillas, M., & Upadhyaya, H. P. (2014).

Underdiagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adult patients: a

review of the literature. The primary care companion for CNS disorders, 16(3),

PCC.13r01600. https://doi.org/10.4088/PCC.13r01600

Moon, R. (2020, July 14). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). siqik.

https://siqik.com/grid/personal/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/

Sacchetti, G. M., & Lefler, E. K. (2017). ADHD Symptomatology and Social

Functioning in College Students. Journal of Attention Disorders, 21(12),

1009-1019. https://doi-org.libprox1.slcc.edu/10.1177/1087054714557355

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