Forensic implications of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that may be linked with poor psychosocial outcome, especially when persisting into adulthood. It is associated with psychiatric co-morbidity and may present both directly and indirectly with forensic sequelae. ADHD in adulthood is increasingly identified within society as an unmet mental health need that is erratically diagnosed and often mislabelled by psychiatric services. Forensic psychiatric services anecdotally appear to be increasingly involved in the assessment and treatment of this condition, a trend that seems likely to continue. This paper seeks to highlight the major dilemmas, inconsistencies and knowledge gaps that currently surround ADHD in adulthood, which are of particular relevance to forensic psychiatry. It also pinpoints from the existing literature practices that may be beneficial when assessing and managing such cases in a forensic setting.