A 9-year-old boy is brought by his parents for failing grades, inability to sit still in class, and frequent interrupting. His teacher confirms the same behavior at school. Symptoms have been present since age 5. His IQ testing is normal. According to DSM-5, how many symptoms of inattention AND/OR hyperactivity-impulsivity are required for an ADHD diagnosis in children under 17?

• A 4 or more symptoms in either domain
• B 5 or more symptoms in either domain
• C 6 or more symptoms in either domain ✓
• D 8 or more symptoms in either domain

Explanation

DSM-5 requires at least 6 or more symptoms from the inattention domain OR 6 or more from the hyperactivity-impulsivity domain (or both) for children under 17. For adolescents 17 and older and adults, only 5 or more symptoms are required (acknowledging that symptom count diminishes with age). Additionally, symptoms must be present for at least 6 months, several symptoms must have been present before age 12 (lowered from 7 in DSM-IV), symptoms must occur in 2 or more settings, and there must be clear functional impairment.

Reference: Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.