Wider definition benefits more people.

• Position: ADHD - Brief article

Getting diagnosed and treated for attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has gotten easier for the more than 13,000,000 people who struggle with distractibility and other symptoms. Changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has broadened the definition and diagnosis of ADHD, a disorder that affects an estimated seven percent of school-aged children.

The criteria changes now better describe the course of symptoms over a lifetime, indicates James Norcross, a psychiatrist who specializes in child and teen conditions at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. "Research demonstrates that symptoms of ADHD do not go away when a person reaches adulthood; however, they can manifest In different ways. Adults generally do not struggle with hyperactivity, but they do have issues with disorganization, inattention, and impulsivity."

Under the new...