Under diagnosis of adult ADHD: cultural influences and societal burden.

Objective: To explore the literature focusing on cultural influences in the diagnosis of adult ADHD and respective societal burden. Method: A review of the literature over the past 10 years was performed using OVID. Results: Although numerous articles focused on diagnosis and burden of adult ADHD, few focused on cultural factors influencing diagnosis. Like other mental health disorders, cultural and social perspectives contribute to our understanding of adult ADHD and may play a significant role in the diagnosis and varying acceptance of the condition. Moreover, adults with ADHD may underestimate the impact of ADHD symptoms, and in many cases have learned to compensate for ADHD related imp…