Diagnosis and Prescribing Patterns of Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a Tertiary Care Hospital in the United Arab Emirates: A Retrospective Study

Background: Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasingly recognized; however, evidence describing diagnostic pathways, comorbidity burden, and prescribing practices in adult care remains limited. Purpose: To characterize diagnostic patterns, psychiatric comorbidities, and prescribing ‎practices for adult ADHD across outpatient specialties in a tertiary care setting in the United ‎Arab Emirates.‎. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for adults aged ≥18 years diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at a tertiary care hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, between May 2023 and August 2024. Cases were identified using the ICD-10 code F90.x. Demographic characteristics, diagnosing specialty, ADHD diagnostic hierarchy and subtype, psychiatric comorbidities, and prescription data were extracted from electronic health records. Prescription data included ADHD-specific pharmacotherapy and medications for associated psychiatric or medical comorbidities. Descriptive statistics summarized diagnostic and prescribing patterns. One-way analysis of variance and chi-square tests examined differences in diagnostic yield across outpatient specialties and associations between diagnosis type, comorbidity presence, and prescribing patterns, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. Results: = 314.21, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Adult ADHD was often diagnosed with psychiatric comorbidity, mainly in psychiatric services, with marked variation across specialties, highlighting the need for standardized diagnostic pathways and UAE-specific clinical guidance.