Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder among homeless veterans

Among 100 participants in a Department of Veterans Affairs domiciliary program for chronic mentally ill homeless veterans who were consecutively referred for psychiatric consultation, 81 who were not psychotic and did not have central nervous system damage were screened for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The screening instrument was a four-item questionnaire. Fifty of the 81 participants screened positive, yet none of the patients or their clinicians had considered ADHD a possible influence on their lives. The study results suggest that clinical staff working with homeless veterans should receive better training in recognizing the various presentations of ADHD among adults.