ADHD in adults

Though attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often diagnosed in childhood, for many people it’s first recognised, and diagnosed, in adulthood. You might have recently been diagnosed, noticed certain patterns in how you operate, or be wondering whether past mental health treatment missed part of the picture. Here’s what ADHD looks like in adults, how assessment works in Australia, and what helps.

What ADHD can look like in adults

ADHD describes long-standing differences in attention, activity and impulse control. It can mean trouble focusing, forgetting things and being disorganised; feeling restless or finding it hard to sit still; acting before thinking; or a mix of these. In adults the restlessness is often less visible, more a sense of not being able to switch off or relax. The difficulties often show up in managing time and staying organised. It used to be called attention deficit disorder, or ADD.

ADHD starts in childhood, and an adult assessment looks back at what things were like then. Between 2 and 6 in every 100 adults are thought to have ADHD, based on international studies.

Only a proper assessment can say whether it fits, and a diagnosis describes a pattern, not who you are.

When it’s been missed, or comes with something else

ADHD often comes with other difficulties, including anxiety, low mood, and problems with alcohol or other drugs. Australia’s guideline notes that ADHD can be missed in women and girls. They’re less likely to be referred for an assessment, and more likely to have been diagnosed with something else, such as anxiety or depression. Both can also be true at once, so a new diagnosis doesn’t have to cancel an old one.

Getting assessed

Assessing ADHD in an adult usually means a long conversation about now and about childhood, questionnaires, and often information from someone who knew you then. PsychologistsPsychologist Someone trained to assess mental health problems and treat them with therapy. It takes at least six years of study and supervised practice, and they're registered with Ahpra, the national regulator. Psychologists can't prescribe medication. More in the jargon decoder Close can assess and diagnose ADHD. They can’t prescribe medication; only doctors can.

Who can assess, and who can prescribe medication, differs between states and has been changing, with several states training GPsGP (general practitioner) For most people, where getting help starts. A GP can write a Mental Health Treatment Plan, prescribe medication and refer you on, and some are trained to deliver a small number of structured therapy sessions themselves. More in the jargon decoder Close to do more assessing and prescribing of medication. Your GP is the place to check what applies where you live. Assessment can mean a long wait and a high cost. Getting a diagnosis covers both.

For a young person, the place to start is a GP, who can refer to someone who assesses young people.

What helps

Australia’s ADHD guideline recommends a mix of treatment and support, with medication and non-medication approaches used together (Australian ADHD Professionals Association, 2022). Where ADHD is causing major difficulties in someone’s life, stimulant medications are the first to discuss with your doctor. For adults, the guideline also recommends therapy based on cognitive behavioural therapyCognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) A structured, practical form of talking therapy. It's built on a simple idea: what you think affects how you feel, and both affect what you do. More in the jargon decoder Close (CBT), and that people are helped to understand ADHD and its treatments, starting from their assessment. Therapy and medication covers what’s known about the two together.

The largest recent comparison of treatments for adults with ADHD pulled together 113 trials, with nearly 15,000 people (Ostinelli and colleagues, 2025). Two groups of ADHD medications were the only treatments that clearly reduced the core difficulties — attention, restlessness and impulsivity — both in people’s own ratings and in clinicians’ ratings. CBT, mindfulnessMindfulness Paying attention to what's happening right now, including what you feel, without being pulled into the past or the future, and without acting on it straight away. Several therapies teach it, including ACT and DBT. More in the jargon decoder Close and learning about ADHD also helped when clinicians rated the change. In people’s own ratings, the difference wasn’t clear. Most of the trials lasted around three months, so much less is known about how things go over longer periods, for medication or for therapy.

A review of 14 trials found CBT may help with the core difficulties of ADHD compared with sessions of general support, or with waiting for treatment (Lopez and colleagues, 2018). For people already taking medication, adding CBT helped with day-to-day functioning and with anxiety and low mood, compared with medication alone. The reviewers rated the evidence low quality, mostly because the trials were small and measured things in different ways.

CBT adapted for ADHD is practical. It usually works on organising and planning, setting priorities, breaking big tasks into smaller steps, setting up a calendar and task list you actually use, and handling distractions. It also works on the thoughts that get in the way when you’re stressed. In one trial, adults who were already taking ADHD medication and still struggling were given either this kind of CBT or relaxation training with support (Safren and colleagues, 2010). The CBT group did better, and the difference was still there at later follow-ups. CBT for ADHD looks at this approachApproach (modality) The kind of therapy someone uses, such as CBT or psychodynamic therapy. You'll also see it called a modality. More in the jargon decoder Close in more detail.

Finding help and paying for it

When you’re looking for a therapist, ask how much of their work is with adults with ADHD.

• Full fee. Seeing a practitioner privately has no session limit. That includes a counsellorCounsellor Someone trained to help people talk through and work on difficulties. The title isn't protected in Australia, so it's worth checking a counsellor's training and registration. Medicare doesn't give a rebate for counsellors. More in the jargon decoder Close or psychotherapistPsychotherapist Someone trained in therapy, often for longer-standing patterns. Like counsellor, the title isn't protected in Australia, and Medicare doesn't give a rebate for psychotherapists. More in the jargon decoder Close, whom MedicareMedicare Australia's public health insurance scheme. For mental health, it gives rebates on sessions with psychologists and some other professionals, usually through a Mental Health Treatment Plan. More in the jargon decoder Close doesn’t cover.
• Workplace programs and community services. These usually offer a set number of sessions.
• headspaceheadspace A national youth mental health service for anyone aged 12 to 25, with centres around Australia and support online and by phone. It's free or close to it, you don't need a referral or a parent, and you can book it yourself. More in the jargon decoder Close. headspace offers free or low-cost support for people aged 12 to 25.
• Groups. A group usually costs less per session.
• A Mental Health Treatment PlanMental Health Treatment Plan A document your GP writes with you. It makes you eligible for a Medicare rebate on up to ten individual sessions a calendar year: six, then a review with your GP, then the remaining four. The plan itself isn't therapy. More in the jargon decoder Close. A plan from your GP gives a Medicare rebateRebate The amount Medicare pays back towards a session. It comes back to you after you've paid, so what you pay yourself is the fee minus the rebate. More in the jargon decoder Close on up to ten individual sessions a calendar year. Ten sessions a calendar year is a funding limit, not a judgement about how much therapy anyone needs.
• PsychiatristsPsychiatrist A medical doctor who has specialised in mental health. Psychiatrists can diagnose, prescribe and do therapy, though many spend most of their time on medication and diagnosis rather than weekly sessions. More in the jargon decoder Close. Psychiatrist appointments have their own Medicare rebate, separate from a Mental Health Treatment Plan, and fees vary.

Free and low-cost options covers other ways to keep costs down.

If things are difficult right now, Lifeline is on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service is on 1300 659 467, and Kids Helpline is on 1800 55 1800 for anyone aged 5 to 25. In an emergency, call 000. Crisis and emergency support has the full list.

Where next

However good the treatment, how well you and your therapist work together matters a great deal. Why who you see matters more than what they do explains why.