What is ADHD?

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Last Updated: October 25, 2023

    Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral condition characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Most people experience these behaviors from time to time, but in ADHD, they are more severe, happen more often, and interfere with a person’s ability to function socially, at school, or in the workplace.[1] ADHD is divided into three subtypes by predominant symptomatology: Inattentive (ADHD-I), Hyperactive-Impulsive (ADHD-HI), and Combined (ADHD-C). Symptom clusters can change as individuals mature and develop.[2]

    References

    1. ^National Institute of Mental HealthAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder(2019-09)
    2. ^Benjamin B Lahey, William E Pelham, Jan Loney, Steve S Lee, Erik WillcuttInstability of the DSM-IV Subtypes of ADHD from preschool through elementary schoolArch Gen Psychiatry.(2005 Aug)