Office worker A (36, Seoul) was slower to be promoted than his peers. Despite waking up early in the morning, he often arrived late to work because he spent much time on trivial tasks like checking his cell phone. He also frequently forgot his work assignments, a point that was repeatedly brought to his attention.
An office worker being scolded by his boss for being late (reference picture) / Melnikov Dmitriy-shutterstock.com
As these mistakes became more frequent, he became more introverted, and his work was often delayed because he constantly checked his work to avoid making mistakes. Despite these efforts, the mistakes did not significantly decrease. During meetings, he often missed what others were saying because he was lost in his own thoughts.
Finally, when A visited the hospital, he revealed during the consultation that “since elementary school, I’ve been told I’m distracted and forgetful. Even when I play games, I tend to forget other tasks and often don’t listen to my parents’ stories.”
He continued, “In middle and high school, I spent a lot of time studying, but I would often space out or repeatedly read the same parts of the textbook, resulting in poor academic performance despite my efforts.”
The doctor diagnosed A with Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), accompanied by symptoms such as anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, lethargy, pessimistic thoughts, and decreased motivation. A was treated with medication for depression and cognitive therapy.
Afterward, A’s mistakes gradually decreased, his focus during conversations and meetings improved, and he stopped constantly checking his work. A said, “As I continue treatment, I have almost no difficulty in my daily life, and my depressive symptoms have improved.”
ADHD is a disorder characterized by symptoms such as distractibility, attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. It commonly occurs in childhood and adolescence, but recently, like A, more adults are experiencing difficulties due to ADHD symptoms.
According to the latest issue of the international academic journal ‘Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience’ on the 31st, a research team led by Professors Park Won-myung and Woo Young-sup of the Department of Mental Health at Catholic University’s Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital conducted a survey of 17,799 adults (12,232 males, 5,567 females) over the age of 19 who visited six health checkup centers in Korea (Korea Medical Research Institute). As a result, 2.4% of them were found to have ADHD.
The prevalence rates by age group were 7.7% in their 20s, 3.1% in their 30s, 1.3% in their 40s, 1.0% in their 50s, and 1.1% in those over 60.
The research team estimated that the risk of ADHD in the 20-30 age group was 3.9 times higher than in those over 60.
Moreover, adult ADHD showed a strong correlation with the occurrence of other mental disorders. The risk of those diagnosed with ADHD experiencing depression and bipolar disorder was 11.6 times and 3.2 times higher, respectively than those without ADHD.
The research team analyzed that this result reflects the recent trend of an increase in adult ADHD patients visiting hospitals. According to the analysis data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of adult patients who received treatment for ADHD symptoms last year increased about five times compared to 2018.
Professor Woo Young-sup explained, “This research result shows the reality that while most ADHD cases occur in childhood, many continue into adulthood if they do not receive appropriate treatment at the right time.”
Professor Woo added, “If you miss the appropriate treatment period, you may experience a lot of frustration in academics, work, and interpersonal relationships because you can’t fully utilize cognitive functions. As a result, various mental health problems can occur.”
The research team cited frequent lateness, low achievement, decreased concentration on work, frequent conflicts with others, and frequent loss of items as the main characteristics of adult ADHD patients.
However, diagnosing adult ADHD is not easy. Symptoms such as impulsivity are less noticeable, and in cases where adults had ADHD in childhood but did not receive a proper diagnosis, the diagnosis depends on the person’s or family’s recollections and memories.
Professor Park Won-myung said, “Because of this, many adult ADHD patients attribute their problems to their personality or temperament and struggle with job loss or job changes, and many end up with mental disorders.”
Professor Park advised, “Adult ADHD patients often have many comorbid psychiatric disorders, so if symptoms such as depression occur, it’s important to consider the possibility that it may be related to ADHD for early diagnosis and treatment. If you’re worried about adult ADHD symptoms, it’s better to seek help from a nearby specialist rather than worrying alone.”
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