Prevalence of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in India: a systematic review and a cross-sectional study among young adults in Delhi-NCR

The epidemiology of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not well explored in India. The present study aims to systematically review the literature on the prevalence of adult ADHD in India and also estimate the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of adult ADHD among the young adults in Delhi-NCR.

For the systematic review, 494 articles were identified of which 10 were included in the review. Simultaneously, a cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1665 adults (18–25 years; mean age 19.92) of both sexes (69.1% females) from different colleges in Delhi-NCR, India. Data was collected using structured interviews and standardized diagnostic tool ASRS V1.1 was used for screening of ADHD.

The systematic review revealed a high prevalence of adult ADHD ranging from 5.48 to 25.7% among general and specific populations of India. Further, in the cross-sectional study, 14% of participants were screened positive for ADHD. While factors like South Indian origin and higher maternal education were associated with an increased risk of adult ADHD, low socioeconomic status was found to be protective.

Considering the high prevalence of adult ADHD in India, there is an urgent need to increase awareness regarding adult ADHD and identify vulnerable populations to facilitate informed interventions.