ADHD er den mest almindeligt undersøgte og diagnosticerede [[psykiatri]]ske lidelse hos børn, som påvirker omkring tre til fem procent af alle børn globalt<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd/complete-publication.shtml |archive-date=18. oktober 2007 |title=NIMH • ADHD • Complete Publication |access-date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018052052/http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd/complete-publication.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|author=Nair J, Ehimare U, Beitman BD, Nair SS, Lavin A |title=Clinical review: evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in children |journal=Mo Med |volume=103 |issue=6 |pages=617–21 |year=2006 |pmid=17256270 |doi= |url=}}</ref> samt påvirker to til 16% af alle børn i skolealderen.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Rader R, McCauley L, Callen EC |title=Current strategies in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder |journal=Am Fam Physician |volume=79 |issue=8 |pages=657–65 |date=april 2009 |pmid=19405409 |doi= |url=}}</ref> Det er en [[Kronisk sygdom|kronisk]] lidelse,<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Van Cleave J, Leslie LK |title=Approaching ADHD as a chronic condition: implications for long-term adherence |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_journal-of-psychosocial-nursing-mental-health-services_2008-08_46_8/page/28 |journal=Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services |volume=46 |issue=8 |pages=28–37 |date= august 2008 |pmid=18777966}}</ref> hvor 30 til 50% af dem som blev diagnosticeret i barndommen fortsætter med at have symptomer i voksenalderen.<ref name="content.nejm.org">{{Cite journal|author=Elia J, Ambrosini PJ, Rapoport JL |title=Treatment of attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder |journal=[[The New England Journal of Medicine]] |volume=340 |issue=10 |pages=780–8 |date=marts 1999 |pmid=10072414 |doi=10.1056/NEJM199903113401007}}</ref> Unge og voksne med ADHD har en tendens til at udvikle [[Coping|mestrings-mekanismer]] for at kompensere for nogle af deres vanskeligheder.<ref name="psychiatrymmc.com">{{Cite journal|last=Gentile |first=Julie |author-link= |date=2004 |title=Adult ADHD: Diagnosis, Differential Diagnosis and Medication Management |journal=Psychiatry |volume=3 |issue=8 |pages=24–30 |id= |pmc=2957278 |pmid=20963192|last2=Atiq|first2=R|last3=Gillig|first3=PM}}</ref> Det anslås at 4,7 % af voksne amerikanere har ADHD.<ref name="BarkleyAdultADHD">{{cite web | last = Barkley | first = Russell A. | author-link =  | title = ADHD in Adults: History, Diagnosis, and Impairments | work =  | publisher = ContinuingEdCourses.net | year = 2007 | url = http://www.continuingedcourses.net/active/courses/course034.php | doi =  | access-date = 27. juli 2009 | archive-date =  3. oktober 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171003142434/http://www.continuingedcourses.net/active/courses/course034.php }}</ref> Standardiserede ratingskalaer såsom [[World Health Organization|WHO]]'s [[Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale]] kan bruges til at screene og vurdere omfanget af lidelsens symptomer.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 15841682 | volume=35 | issue=2 | title=The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population | url = https://archive.org/details/sim_psychological-medicine_2005-02_35_2/page/245 | date=februar 2005 | author=Kessler RC, Adler L, Ames M, ''et al.'' | pages=245–56 | journal = Psychological medicine | doi = 10.1017/S0033291704002892}}</ref>
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