ADHD in the light of contemporary psychiatry and clinical practice

Main aim of this article is to inform pediatrists about our actual view on the clinical picture, epidemiology, pathophysiology and diagnostic procedures of ADHD and about the therapeutic approaches to this disorder. According to DSM 5, revised diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, we accept ADHD as a neuro developmental disorder with common onset in childhood and lifelong duration in at least at half of the patients. ADHD can be result in various consequent problems in adult life e.g. emotional, relational or social. Hyperactivity is often the first symptom in early childhood, severe inattention with some consequences in academic performance is usually observed at basic school level. Co morbidity complicates diagnostic process. Proper therapy can help to harmonize the development of personality, to build self-esteem and to improve socialization in adulthood. (author)