Adults living with ADHD share their intricate, ongoing encounters past their initial childhood diagnosis.
In a comprehensive review of 41 qualitative studies, published in the Journal of Attention Disorders (2025), the experiences of adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have been explored in depth.
ADHD, a neurodevelopmental condition, impacts not only focus and impulsivity but also emotional regulation, relationships, and long-term planning in adults. The review highlights that the manifestation of ADHD varies across life stages and social identities, and this variation is a crucial aspect to understand.
In the workplace, adults with ADHD often experience context-dependent impairments. Difficulties such as disorganization or distractibility vary greatly depending on how well their tasks align with their interests and strengths. When work environments match their preferences, ADHD-related challenges diminish significantly. However, mismatches can lead to heightened struggles with focus, impulsivity, and long-term planning.
Regarding emotional regulation, adults with ADHD face substantial emotional labor, particularly around receiving feedback about behaviours linked to ADHD traits. For example, when aspects like hyperactivity are critiqued, it can feel deeply personal and taxing, as these behaviours are integral to their self-identity.
Self-identification experiences often center on integrating ADHD into one's sense of self. Many adults see their diagnosis as a significant, normalized part of who they are rather than a solely negative label. However, they also grapple with external pressures to control or modify behaviours characteristic of ADHD, which complicates identity negotiation.
Communication difficulties—such as impulsive interruptions or challenges maintaining eye contact—persist in adulthood but are often managed with strategies developed through life experience. There is a recognized need for accessible, real-time support to help adults apply coping techniques in everyday interactions, outside of clinical settings.
College students with ADHD often face unique challenges during the transition to independent living. Difficulties with time management, emotional regulation, and academic pressures are common among this group. Many college students with ADHD have low usage of academic accommodations, often due to stigma, lack of awareness, or uncertainty about eligibility.
The review also identifies important gaps in the literature. For instance, there is a lack of studies exploring how childhood-diagnosed individuals view their condition in adulthood, the underrepresentation of women and gender-diverse individuals, and the limited research on older adults with ADHD.
Substance use, particularly cannabis and nicotine, was commonly discussed by participants as a means to manage ADHD symptoms or emotional distress. Understanding ADHD in adulthood requires attention to personal narratives, environmental context, and identity formation.
Some individuals with ADHD embrace the condition as a part of their personality, while others view it as a separate diagnosis that fluctuates in its relevance. Nonetheless, the review underscores that adults with ADHD experience complex, evolving challenges that intertwine their work life, emotional experiences, and identity formation in dynamic ways that standard clinical assessments may miss.
- The comprehensive review in the Journal of Attention Disorders (2025) discusses how ADHD, a neurodevelopmental condition, affects not only focus and impulsivity but also emotional regulation, relationships, and long-term planning in adults.
- The review points out that the manifestation of ADHD varies across life stages and social identities, which is a significant aspect to understand.
- In the workplace, adults with ADHD often encounter context-dependent impairments, with difficulties like disorganization or distractibility depending on how their tasks align with their interests and strengths.
- Regarding emotional regulation, adults with ADHD face substantial emotional labor, particularly around receiving feedback about behaviors linked to ADHD traits, which can feel deeply personal and taxing.
- Self-identification experiences often center on integrating ADHD into one's sense of self, with many adults seeing their diagnosis as a significant, normalized part of who they are.
- Communication difficulties, such as impulsive interruptions or challenges maintaining eye contact, persist in adulthood but are often managed with strategies developed through life experience.
- Understanding ADHD in adulthood requires attention to personal narratives, environmental context, and identity formation, as substance use, particularly cannabis and nicotine, is commonly discussed by participants as a means to manage ADHD symptoms or emotional distress.
- Research in the field of psychology, health-and-wellness, and mental health should address important gaps in the literature, including how individuals diagnosed with ADHD in childhood view their condition in adulthood, the underrepresentation of women and gender-diverse individuals, and the limited research on older adults with ADHD.
