gms | German Medical Science

Background: About 65% of “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)” syndromes persist from childhood into adulthood. Additional to attention deficits and hyperactivity, there is a broad spectrum of further minimal cerebral dysfunctions. These can also cause severe impairment. Therefore it is necessary to assess the full spectrum of problems in functioning, which requires good clinical skills.

Aim: Aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between disability and this enlarged spectrum of symptoms in a population of adult patients in psychosomatic rehabilitation.

Method: During the intake assessment, 1453 inpatients of a psychosomatic rehabilitation hospital filled in the “ADHS-SB” (attention deficit hyperactivity scale), the “MCD-scale” (minimal cerebral dysfunction scale), and the “SCL-90R” (Symptom Checklist).

Results/findings: Adult ADHD cases show a lower vocational qualification, a longer absenteeism from work, longer sick leave, overburdening at the workplace, a higher unemployment rate and a higher SCL-GSI score as compared to non-ADHD patients.

Regression analyses show that psychological distress and ability to work are preferably influenced by problems of orientation, cognitive impairment, vegetative lability, emotional problems, disorders of motor function and only to a lower degree by hyperactivity.

Discussion and conclusions: The data replicate that adult ADHD results in many deficits of social functioning. Additional to that, the data also show that the enlarged spectrum of impairment of functions is crucial to explain disability. It is not enough to focus on attention and activity problems alone. Instead emotional, cognitive, motor, or vegetative symptoms, must also be taken into account. Therapeutic strategies in psychosomatic rehabilitation should assess MCD and provide compensatory treatments.