Pusan National University (PNU) Student A had difficulties remembering his class schedule and attending his classes last semester. Student A, who had problems with studying and daily life due to issues with his poor short-term memory and concentration, ended up making the decision to take a semester off. After visiting a psychiatrist, Student A was diagnosed with “Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).”

Cases like Student A are continuously increasing among the “2030 generation.” According to “Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service,” while the number of adult ADHD patients in their 20s was 5,336 in 2017, the number increased sharply to 22,087 in 2021. As the number of adult ADHD patients increases, the need for accurate recognition of the disease has been raised.

According to the “National Center for Mental Health,” ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disease that causes difficulties in concentration and impulsiveness. Unlike pediatric and adolescent ADHD, which mainly shows excessive activity, concentration inhibition and impulsiveness are the main problem of adult ADHD. More than 70% of adult ADHD patients are accompanied by other mental diseases such as depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, and sleep disorders.  

■50% of PNU Students said, “I’ve Suspected Adult ADHD.”

"Channel PNU” conducted an “Adult ADHD Survey” on 150 PNU students from February 2nd to 16th. Based on the “Korean Adult ADHD Self Report Scale (K-ASRS)” developed by the “World Health Organization (WHO),” questions were organized to investigate whether they had experienced continuous adult ADHD symptoms for six months.

As a result of the survey, many PNU students experienced or suspected adult ADHD symptoms. More than half of the respondents answered that they had experienced all symptoms of adult ADHD. The most common symptom that students experienced was avoiding or delaying troublesome tasks. 87% of respondents said, “I experienced it.” It was followed by fiddling with hands or wriggling feet when sitting for a long time (78.8%), difficulty in finalizing a task despite finishing a difficult part of it (60.2%), having trouble after forgetting promises or things to do (53.7%), difficulty in progressing tasks that need a system in order(51.2%), and acting excessively or unstoppably like a running motor (26.8%).

In the past six months, 50.1% of students have suspected adult ADHD on their own. 78.2% of these students said that the behavior suspected of adult ADHD interferes with their daily lives. PNU student B said, “It is difficult to concentrate on one task because I am vulnerable to peripheral stimuli and the studies itself burdens me. It’s hard to perform academic tasks because of the  difficulty of keeping up with college classes that last longer than when I was in high school. Even when I read textbooks, it is difficult to focus on them because it leads me to think about other things.” PNU student C said, “Each time I realize my performance and academic ability is getting lower, I become more suspicious if I have adult ADHD.”

■ Why did Adult ADHD Surge?

The causes for the rise in the number of adult ADHD patients lie in the changes of mental health services, fast and immediate socio-cultural environments, and limitations of self-diagnosis. Yang Ji-Yeon (Prof. of Hyowon Counseling Office, PNU) said, “The number of mental health service users has steadily increased since 2006, the diagnosis rate might have increased as adult ADHD has been recognized by the medical insurance in Korea since 2016. DSM-5 is mainly used as the ADHD diagnostic criterion, and the number of patients may increase as this criterion is eased compared to the past.”

She also mentioned that it could be because of the fact that most social work environments ask for fast and immediate feedback. Prof. Yang said, “The fast-moving environment itself can affect practicing self-regulation. As more and more multi-tasking positions are required, there can be a tendency to be careless because stimuli are given simultaneously.”

The possibility of an individual’s excessive self-awareness was also pointed out. Due to the high social expectations of college students, they tend to pay little attention to their own areas, so they are likely to suspect or self-diagnose themselves as having ADHD when it is difficult to control their impulses. Kim Ji-Hoon (Prof. of Psychiatry) said, “If they set their standards too high, there is a high probability that people will doubt their attention and feel that they have a problem. When their functional level drops, people focus only on certain points and over-perceive if they have problems themselves.”

In particular, attention tends to be distracted easily. Even though it is a product of simple stress, the behavioral pattern that occurs in a painful situation can be called ADHD. Prof. Yang said, “Attention is not only limited by ADHD. When humans are depressed, anxious, or get other uncomfortable stress, attention decreases first, and thus performance capability also decreases.”

■If You Feel Adult ADHD Symptoms

If you feel adult ADHD symptoms, it is essential to be diagnosed by a doctor. If you do not get a quick diagnosis, you may have daily difficulties due to attention problems. Prof. Kim said, “If you neglect ADHD, you will continue to face problems in social life, such as economic losses and legal problems caused by reduced work efficiency or impulse control problems.” “If you feel symptoms, you should get an accurate diagnosis from an expert,” he recommended.

However, even if they suspect adult ADHD on their own, the number of visits to a doctor was significantly low. According to the survey, only 17.3% of the respondents, who said they suspected adult ADHD, were diagnosed by a doctor. It was mainly due to the negative perception of visiting a doctor and the financial burdens. Students cited the fear of seeing a doctor, expensive medical expenses, concerns about possible future problems, and difficulty recognizing it as a disease for not visiting the hospital. Student D, who participated in the survey, said, “I am reluctant to visit a doctor because others said I might have to go through drug therapy. I have doubts that I can perform the treatment well, and the stigma that comes from receiving treatment is also a big fear.”

Prof. Kim was concerned about the low treatment rate and said, “Adult ADHD is difficult to improve, so it is extremely important to diagnose it quickly because it is a disease that affects the rest of your life if you miss the timing. Adult ADHD must be accurately recognized and treated to prevent greater losses.” In fact, personal medical records are managed by the “National Health Insurance Service,”and even the patients themselves cannot access their records online and have to apply for a visit in person.

■Need for Stress Control

Experts recommend a “Stress Control Strategy” for students who feel difficulty with reduced attention and impulse control. It is necessary to check whether their current life goals and tasks are feasible. Prof. Yang said, “As soon as ADHD symptoms appear, you need to look at the level of your body and physical energy compared to the amount that is possible. It is necessary to take time to rest, relax, and self-care.”

If you cannot control your stress voluntarily, you can ask for help from a specialized institution at PNU. The “Hyowon Counseling Office” of PNU is a counseling facility, which supports horticulture and painting activities to find vitality in life through the “Healing Camp” program. Self-checking is also possible through personal counseling. Prof. Yang said, “Through the “Hyowon Counseling Office programs, you can find and evoke some stimuli about how they gave you a break under a stressful situation.”

Reporter Sim Se-Hee

Translated by Kwon Eun-Ji