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An anxious-looking young woman holds a basket of unfolded laundry.

One person’s
ADHD is
not like
the other

Explore the unique ways ADHD shows up in different patients.

Many patients. Countless symptom presentations.

The struggles patients face vary widely, made more nuanced by the fact that ADHD can manifest differently based on age, gender, comorbidities, and beyond.1,2 The emotional impact and experience of people with ADHD is as unique and heterogeneous as their neurobiology.3

A few areas where the patient experience can vary include:

Gender

Women and girls with ADHD typically have internalized symptoms—resulting in later diagnosis (compared to boys and men).4-11

Age

The symptoms that led to childhood diagnosis may not be symptoms that adults with ADHD experience.12

Time

In a study with a 14-year follow-up, 64% of people with ADHD demonstrated a pattern of ADHD symptoms that fluctuate over time.1

Associated symptoms

Up to 60% of children with ADHD* and up to 73% of adults with ADHD suffer from executive dysfunction.13,14†

Comorbidities

Up to 47% of adults with ADHD have comorbid anxiety disorders, and up to 80% have at least one coexisting psychiatric disorder.15,16

*Estimates for the proportion of pediatric ADHD cases who exhibit any form of executive dysfunction range from 21% to 60% across studies employing a wide range of tasks and impairment criteria.

†Studies in adults with ADHD have reported executive function prevalence estimates of 30%-73%.

Patient snapshots

The many faces of ADHD

Uncover the various unmet needs of patients with ADHD by reading about their unique struggles. Click the photos below to learn more.

Kate, a 38-year-old woman with ADHD, at her desk. Kate, a 38-year-old woman with ADHD, at her desk. Kate, a 38-year-old woman with ADHD, at her desk. Meet Kate, 38
Emily, a 23-year-old woman with ADHD, in her apartment. Emily, a 23-year-old woman with ADHD, in her apartment. Emily, a 23-year-old woman with ADHD, in her apartment. Meet Emily, 23
Jayden, a 16-year-old with ADHD, on the floor with a couch behind him. Jayden, a 16-year-old with ADHD, on the floor with a couch behind him. Jayden, a 16-year-old with ADHD, on the floor with a couch behind him. Meet Jayden, 16
Leo, a 9-year-old boy with ADHD, on his bed. Leo, a 9-year-old boy with ADHD, on his bed. Leo, a 9-year-old boy with ADHD, on his bed. Meet Leo, 9

With ADHD, I’m mostly thriving at work

but this project makes me want to scream.

Kate, 38,‡ is meeting her deadlines, but the demands of “getting it right” are overwhelming.

  • Worry over making mistakes and meeting deadlines is so all-consuming that she can’t relax, even off the job. And the stress is affecting her life.
  • Little things, like her partner reminding her to run to the store, spiral into angry outbursts and arguments that leave her drained.
  • She knows her volatility is hurting her relationships, but she doesn’t know how to rein it in.

Could emotional dysregulation be part of Kate’s ADHD experience?

‡Hypothetical patient

With ADHD, I’m sort of adulting

but I’m so not ready to host my parents.

Emily, 23,‡ is expecting her parents any minute, but she’s a nervous wreck because her apartment isn’t presentable.

  • After moving out, Emily wants her parents to think she has it together. But the pressures of adulthood are overwhelming, and her laundry pile shows it.
  • Navigating everyday stressors—from friend drama to an overbearing manager—gets Emily stuck in cycles of rumination.
  • The overthinking makes it impossible to relax, and her space reflects this inner chaos.
  • She wonders if everyone else feels paralyzed with worry, or if it’s just her.

Could anxiety be part of Emily’s ADHD experience?

‡Hypothetical patient

With ADHD, I’m mostly on task

but the wrong things grab my attention.

Jayden, 16,‡ knows he should prioritize homework, but it’s just too easy to get sucked into the game.

  • Jayden has a hard time switching to the “right” task, and it’s leading to hours of procrastination.
  • Then, he’s forced to finish his homework in a last-minute rush, and it shows on his report card.
  • He knows he should prioritize, but his brain seems to have only two modes: laser focus or complete disinterest.
  • His parents are worried about his slipping grades—and wondering how they can help him stay organized and motivated.

Could executive dysfunction be part of Jayden’s ADHD experience?

‡Hypothetical patient

With ADHD, I’m kind of sleeping at night

but it's still really hard to stay awake at school.

Leo, 9,‡ is figuring out how to stay focused at school, but his nights are anything but restful.

  • Leo has trouble staying awake and focused during the school day.
  • But when night comes, no amount of counting sheep can help Leo fall asleep.
  • In the morning, it’s even harder to get up for school and do it all over again.
  • Leo’s parents thought ADHD was just the “can’t sit still” condition, but now they wonder if it might be causing the sleepless nights.

Could sleeplessness be part of Leo’s ADHD experience?

‡Hypothetical patient

Patients struggle with treatment trade-offs and staying on track

While the diagnostic symptoms of ADHD may be managed, patients may still struggle. There is limited data available about the ability of current treatments to treat associated symptoms of ADHD.17,18

Treatments may come with
trade-offs

Current pharmacological treatments include stimulants and non-stimulants. Both may have burdensome adverse effects and poor adherence among adults.

In a recent study of 585 patients with ADHD, 95.2% experienced symptoms associated with ADHD/‌treatment-related adverse side effects, which impacted their everyday lives.19§

§An online patient-prospective survey of adults receiving ADHD medication (either a stimulant and/‌or a non-stimulant) found that 95.2% experienced ≥1 symptom associated with ADHD or treatment-related side effects, with the number of symptoms showing a significant correlation with reduced health-related quality of life within the past month they were surveyed.

PatientExperiences_SideEffects

§An online patient-prospective survey of adults receiving ADHD medication (either a stimulant and/‌or a non-stimulant) found that 95.2% experienced ≥1 symptom associated with ADHD or treatment-related side effects, with the number of symptoms showing a significant correlation with reduced health-related quality of life within the past month they were surveyed.

Some side effects reported were:19

Insomnia
Fatigue
Jitteriness
Lack of appetite
Depressed mood
Anxiety

Patients struggle to stay on track

Retrospective claims-based studies in the United States found poor adherence to treatment.

  • More than half of the patients experienced a change in pharmacologic treatment within 12 months20
  • Changes included treatment discontinuation, treatment switch, and augmentation20

The combined impact of untreated associated symptoms, adverse side effects, and poor adherence sheds light on the need for a more complete approach to managing ADHD.

PatientExperience_ChangeInTreatment
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    Sibley MH, et al. Variable patterns of remission from ADHD in the multimodal treatment study of ADHD. Am J Psychiatry. 2022;179(2):142-151.

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    Koirala S, et al. Neurobiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: historical challenges and emerging frontiers. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2024;25:759-775.

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    Shaw P, et al. Emotional dysregulation in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2014;171(3):276-293. 

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    Dalsgaard S, et al. Incidence rates and cumulative incidences of full spectrum of diagnosed mental disorders in childhood and adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020;77:155-164.

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    Cortese S, et al. Gender differences in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). J Clin Psychiatry. 2016;77:e421-e428.

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    Øie M, et al. Gender differences in the relationship between changes in ADHD symptoms, executive fuctions, and self- and parent-reported depression symptoms in boys and girls with ADHD: a 2-year follow-up study. J Atten Disord. 2016;22(5):446-459.

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    Tung I, et al. Patterns of comorbidity among girls with ADHD: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2016;138(4):e20160430.

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    Young S, et al. Females with ADHD: an expert consensus statement taking a lifespan approach providing guidance for the identification and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in girls and women. BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20(1):404.

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    Solberg BS, et al. Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity: a population-based study of 40,000 adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2018;137(3):176-186.

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    Mowlem F, et al. Sex differences in predicting ADHD clinical diagnosis and pharmacological treatment. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2019;28:481-489.

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    Danielson ML, et al. ADHD prevalence among US children and adolescents in 2022: diagnosis, severity, co-occurring disorders, and treatment. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2024;53(3)343-360.

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    American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition, Text Revision. DSM-5-TR™. American Psychiatric Publishing; 2022.

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    Kofler MJ, et al. Executive functioning heterogeneity in pediatric ADHD. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2019;47(2):273-286.

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    Kosheleff AR, et al. Functional impairments associated with ADHD in adulthood and the impact of pharmacological treatment. J Atten Disord. 2023;27(7):669-697.

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    Kessler RC, et al. The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States: results from the national comorbidity survey replication. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(4):716-723.

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    Katzman MA, et al. Adult ADHD and comorbid disorders: clinical implications of a dimensional approach. BMC Psychiatry. 2017;17(1):302. 

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    Moukhtarian TR, et al. Effects of stimulants and atomoxetine on emotional lability in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Psychiatry. 2017;44:198-207.

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    Soler-Gutie´rrez AM, et al. Evidence of emotion dysregulation as a core symptom of adult ADHD: a systematic review. PLoS ONE 2023;18(1):e0280131.

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    Schein J, et al. Symptoms associated with ADHD/treatment-related adverse side effects and their impact on quality of life and work productivity in adults with ADHD. Curr Med Res and Opin. 2023;39(1):149-159.

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    Schein J, et al. Treatment patterns among patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid anxiety and/or depression in the United States: a retrospective claims analysis. Adv Ther. 2023;40:2265-2281.