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FrancoAngeli Journals

SEZIONE GENERALE - ADHD: nuove prospettive

N. 55 (2024)

ADHD in età evolutiva ed età adulta: differenze diagnostiche e fattori che concorrono a delineare il profilo del paziente

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/qpc55-2024oa20372
Inviata
12 giugno 2025
Pubblicato
08-07-2025

Abstract

Con una prevalenza di oltre il 5%, il disturbo da deficit di attenzione e iperattività (ADHD) è uno dei disturbi più frequenti nella psichiatria infantile e adolescenziale, inoltre, i dati ci indicano che circa il 2,5% della popolazione adulta presenta un funzionamento neuro-atipico che rientra nell’etichetta diagnostica ADHD (in accordo con il DSM-5). Il presente articolo si pone come obiettivo di delineare le principali caratteristiche del profilo di funzionamento psicologico di soggetti con diagnosi di ADHD sia in età evolutiva che in età adulta. L’intento è anche quello di mettere in evidenza possibili costanti che delineano traiettorie evolutive e continuità nel corso del ciclo di vita, ma anche differenze sia sul piano diagnostico che di espressività fenomenologica di questo quadro clinico che rientra fra i disturbi del neurosviluppo.
In conclusione, il funzionamento ADHD risulta particolarmente complesso, sia perché la diagnosi tutt’oggi si definisce come principalmente clinica e non unicamente definita da dati strumentali, sia perché esiste un’ampia fenomenologia sintomatologica che impone al clinico la capacità di considerare questo funzionamento su un continuum, dove l’intensità dei comportamenti e le manifestazioni possono avere grandi differenze da paziente a paziente e addirittura si possono modificare nell’arco della vita.

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