DSM-5 and Other Symptom Thresholds for ADHD: Which Is the Best Predictor of Impairment in College Students?. Issue 13 (November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hartung, Cynthia M.; Lefler, Elizabeth K.; Canu, Will H.; Stevens, Anne E.; Jaconis, Maryanne; LaCount, Patrick A.; Shelton, Christopher R.; Leopold, Daniel R.; Willcutt, Erik G.
• Is Part Of: Journal of attention disorders. Volume 23:Issue 13(2019)
• Page Start: 1637
• Page End: 1646
• Publication Date: 2019-11
• Subjects: ADHD -- emerging adults -- DSM-IV -- DSM-5 -- diagnostic criteria; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Periodicals; Attention -- Periodicals; 616.8589
• DOI: 10.1177/1087054716629216
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1087-0547

Abstract

Objective: Approximately 5% of adults have ADHD. Despite recommendations regarding the diagnosis of emerging adults, there is not a strong consensus regarding the ideal method for diagnosing ADHD in both emerging and mature adults. We were interested in determining whether a threshold of four, five, or six ADHD symptoms would be associated with significantly different levels of functional impairment and be more or less indicative of a potential ADHD diagnosis.Method: We examined the relation between functional impairment and these ADHD symptom thresholds in 2, 577 college students.Results: Our findings suggest that none of these symptom thresholds are differentially better at predicting functional impairment.Conclusion: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5 ) threshold of five symptoms for ages 17 years and older is not necessarily predictive of ADHD-related impairment in college students and may not be preferable to other thresholds. Options for resolving this diagnostic dilemma are discussed.