Adult ADHD: Questioning Diagnosis and Treatment in a Patientwith Multiple Psychiatric Comorbidities

Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a contentious diagnostic issue, which has been increasing in prevalencein recent years, and is often comorbid with other psychiatric disorders. This report presents a detailed account of a clinical caseinvolving a middle-aged man with a history of recurrent depressive episodes and an unsubstantiated diagnosis of ADHD, treatedwith stimulants. There is persistent debate around the use of psychostimulants both in adult ADHD and in the treatment ofdepression. Despite promising activating properties, psychostimulants carry significant risks of misuse and substance use disorder.In this report, we consider the potential benefits and adverse effects of stimulants in the treatment of adult ADHD and mooddisorders and review the learning points of this complicated, but not uncommon, clinical case.