Validity of change in DSM-5 attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) age of onset criterion confirmed
In DSM-5, age of onset criterion for ADHD, previously set at 7 in DSM-IV, has been raised to 12. As explained in DSM-5, age of onset is now set at 12, rather than an earlier age, to reflect the importance of clinical presentation during childhood for accurate diagnosis, while also acknowledging the difficulties in establishing precise childhood onset retrospectively. Using data from a nationally representative sample of youth who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a group of researchers led by Dr. Kathleen Merikangas of the National Institute of Health Intramural Research Program, evaluated symptoms of ADHD and its subtypes in 1,894 participants aged 12-15 years based on parent reports of symptomatology. Researchers found that levels of severity, functional impairment, and patterns of comorbidity among the additional 3.46% of children who met all of the ADHD criteria except age of onset under 7 were comparable with those of other me...