Rethinking ADHD: A Developmental and Psychobiological Perspective

Psychology and Psychiatry both center on understanding and treating mental and behavioral disorders. While they often align in diagnosing and addressing psychological dysfunctions, they diverge significantly in how rigidly they define and label disorders like ADHD. Traditionally, ADHD has been diagnosed using criteria rooted in childhood behaviors—criteria that may not fully capture the complex, evolving nature of the condition across the lifespan.

This work challenges that convention, calling for a reevaluation of how we define and diagnose adult ADHD. It explores the overlooked influence of enduring personality traits and developmental experiences—particularly the long-term effects of childhood neglect and abuse—as potential catalysts in the manifestation of ADHD symptoms in adulthood.

Through an in-depth review of current research and literature, this study highlights how early relational trauma can shape the neurodevelopmental trajectory leading to ADHD. It argues that rigid, age-based diagnostic criteria obscure the deeper etiological patterns and fail to account for the sustained psychological consequences of early maltreatment.

By emphasizing the importance of trait-based and developmental factors, this work advocates for a paradigm shift in ADHD diagnosis—one that integrates psychological, biological, and experiential data. Ultimately, it calls for a new framework grounded in Translational Developmental Psychobiology, urging clinicians and researchers to revise outdated models and adopt a more nuanced, dynamic understanding of adult ADHD.