The Economic Burden of Untreated ADHD in Adults Warrants Appropriate Long-Term Treatment

Rationale: About half of the children with ADHD will continue to have symptoms in adulthood, thus 3-5% of adults would have ADHD. Adults with ADHD do not maximize their life career potential, have difficulties at work, suffer from unemployment, social dysfunction, and a three-fold increased tendency towards substance abuse and 5 times more criminal acts. They have 3-4 times increased rate of car and other accidents, being also more severe. Only two thirds graduate from high school as opposed to 95% of persons without ADHD. Accordingly, the economic burden of people with ADHD is very high, especially if treatment is inadequate.
Objectives and methods: We calculated the average loss of income and the cost to the society due to lower education, addiction and imprisonment for an untreated person with ADHD.
Results: The loss of income for an individual due to lower education during ages 25-68 is about 58,000 NIS/year, totaling 2.5 million NIS. The cost of a treatment trial for an addicted person is 100,000NIS and the disability allowance from the Israeli National Institute Insurance is about 30,000NIS. The cost of one year in prison is about 150,000NIS, while the average term is 1.5 years, totaling 225,000NIS per incarcerated person. Life - long cost of treatment (pharmacological treatment and psychosocial support until adulthood) is less than 200,000NIS, <10% of benefit. We will also present the possible savings at the national level.
Conclusions:children diagnosed with ADHD should be optimally treated into adolescence and adulthood as long as they are symptomatic.