Michielsen et al conclude that the personality traits they call attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ‘do not fade or disappear in adulthood’. Reference Michielsen, Semeijn, Comijs, van de Ven, Beekman and Deeg1 Yet such a gradual extinction throughout life is precisely what their study proves.
The authors quote prevalences from previous studies as high as 7% in children and 4.4% in working-age adults. Their own study shows a prevalence in old age of 2.8%, with higher rates in the 60- to 70-year age group (4.0%) than in those over 70 (1.1%). In other words, there is a steady decline in the prevalence of ADHD caseness throughout life, way over and above that which could plausibly be caused by higher mortality among impulsive individuals.
These data show conclusively that, in common with many problematic personality styles, poor attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity tend to gradually lessen in intensity with age. Thus the study is further evidence that ADHD merely represents a cluster of personality traits which, given their high prevalence, cannot even be considered abnormal, rather than a disease entity.
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