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MAY 24, 2005
By Carol Cropper ADHD: The $77 Billion Curse The disorder is much more than a burden on those it afflicts. According to a new study, related economic losses are little short of staggering Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder costs sufferers an average of $10,000 a year in lost income -- a national total of $77 billion annually, according to the results of a phone survey released May 23 at the American Psychiatric Assn.'s annual conference in Atlanta. More than 8 million adults, or 4.3% of the U.S. adult population, have ADHD, according to the study, which was led by Dr. Joseph Biederman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and chief of pediatric psychopharmacology at Massachusetts General Hospital. The study was based on responses from 1,000 homes in which at least one person had been diagnosed with the disorder. Funding for the research was provided by pharmaceutical outfit Shire U.S. (SHPGY ), which makes Adderall XR, one of two available prescription treatments. Adderall XR made the news in February, when Canadian authorities pulled it from the market following the sudden deaths of several users. The other accepted treatment, Strattera, comes from U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly (LLY ). GOING NOWHERE. Those with ADHD exhibit inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. Such problems make it more difficult to develop relationships, complete educational programs, and hold down jobs. While the average American holds three jobs during a 10-year period, someone with ADHD goes through six, Biederman says. "You may end up having entry-level jobs five times," he says. "Somebody who has ADHD and is a lawyer may never succeed in becoming a partner." While the average loss in income for ADHD adults adds up to $10,000, the price for professionals with postgraduate degrees rises to $40,000 a year, according to the study, which was based on information gathered in 2003 interviews with 1,000 adults. "ADHD...may be one of the costliest medical conditions in the U.S.," Biederman says. CHILDHOOD'S LEGACY. Plus, Biederman says, the job-related dollar figures "do not include the cost of depression, marital discord, and auto accidents." As a problem affecting children, ADHD has been known since the 1800s, but it wasn't until 1987 that the APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders officially recognized the condition in adults, Biederman says. People do not develop the disorder in adulthood but, for about about two-thirds of the children with ADHD, it continues into maturity, according to a spokesperson for Shire.  Cropper is a correspondent for BusinessWeek in the Atlanta bureau Edited by Beth Belton
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