An adult ADHD assessment is a 90 minute interview with a consultant psychiatrist, using your history since childhood and validated rating scales. You receive a written report within 5 working days, and treatment can start where it is right. By video it is £1,250, and in person in Harley Street £1,500.
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Any of these needs to be seen the same day. If you are severely unwell, go to your nearest emergency department or call 999.
ADHD is a lifelong difference in attention, activity and impulse control that begins in childhood. Around 2.5 percent of adults have it, and many reach adulthood undiagnosed, especially women and people who coped well at school.Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Faraone, 2021
In adults the hyperactivity often turns inward as restlessness, while trouble finishing tasks, losing things, missing deadlines and acting on impulse remain. It is diagnosed when those traits cause real problems in more than one part of life, not simply when they are present.NICE NG87, 2018
ADHD runs strongly in families, with genes accounting for most of the risk. It is not caused by parenting, screen time or diet, though all three can make the effects easier or harder to live with.Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Faraone, 2021
Anxiety, depression, sleep problems, autism and substance use are all more common with ADHD, and several of them cause poor concentration on their own. Part of a proper assessment is telling these apart, because treating the wrong one does not help.NICE NG87, 2018
Depression slows thinking and makes it hard to start or finish things, which can look very like ADHD in an adult. It has its own effective treatments, so it needs to be recognised rather than folded into the ADHD picture.NICE NG222, 2022
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A six question self report scale can suggest ADHD, and you may be asked to complete one before the appointment. It is a screen, not a diagnosis, and a high score alone does not confirm the condition.Psychological Medicine Kessler, 2005
The diagnosis is made by a specialist psychiatrist through a detailed interview covering symptoms now and in childhood, how they affect work, study and relationships, and other conditions that could explain them. Where possible, someone who knew you as a child adds their account.NICE NG87, 2018
Blood pressure, pulse and weight are recorded before any medicine is started. A heart tracing is needed only where there is a heart condition, a family history of sudden death, or symptoms that suggest one.NICE NG87, 2018
Understanding and adjustments
Knowing the diagnosis and making changes at work or study, such as written instructions, fewer interruptions and flexible deadlines. Many adults find this helps on its own.NICE NG87, 2018
Psychological support
Structured support or cognitive behavioural therapy focused on planning, organisation and emotional control, alongside or instead of medicine.NICE NG87, 2018
Stimulant medicine
Lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate are the first choices in adults. In a large review of trials, stimulants gave the clearest short term improvement in symptoms.The Lancet Psychiatry Cortese, 2018
Non stimulant medicine
Atomoxetine or guanfacine where stimulants do not suit, cause side effects, or carry a risk of misuse. They take several weeks to work.NICE NG87, 2018
Medicine is started at a low dose and increased every week or two, with checks on sleep, appetite, blood pressure and pulse. Settling the dose usually takes 4 to 8 weeks, and some people need a second medicine before one suits.NICE NG87, 2018
Medicine improves symptoms for most adults, but not all, and it does not change habits by itself. Poor appetite, trouble sleeping and a raised pulse are common side effects, and a small number stop because of them.The Lancet Psychiatry Cortese, 2018
Find evidence from childhood. School reports from before age 12 that mention attention, behaviour or not reaching potential are among the most useful things you can bring, because the diagnosis needs signs from that age.NICE NG87, 2018
Complete the six question adult self report screen and note which items you scored as often or very often. Four or more in that range is the usual point at which a full assessment is worth doing.Psychological Medicine Kessler, 2005
Do not pay for an online quiz that promises a diagnosis, or a brain scan or computer test sold as proof of ADHD. None of them can diagnose it, and a report from one is unlikely to be accepted by an employer, a university or another doctor.NICE NG87, 2018
Do not assume your own GP will take over prescribing after a private diagnosis. Some will and some will not, so ask them before you book, because paying privately for the medicine and its reviews every month adds up.General Medical Council GMC guidance, 2021
Step 1
Questionnaires before the appointment, school reports if you have them, and a contact who knew you as a child if they are willing.
Step 2
By video or in person. Your history now and in childhood, other explanations ruled in or out, and a clear answer at the end.
Step 3
The written report within 5 working days. Where treatment is agreed, the first prescription and reviews until the dose is right.
Ask before you book if you are not sure this is the right appointment.
By video with a consultant psychiatrist it is £1,250, and in person in Harley Street £1,500. Both include 90 minutes with the consultant, validated rating scales and a written report within 5 working days. Titration reviews while the dose is settled are £325 each.
Yes. Many adults are diagnosed for the first time in their twenties, thirties or later. The diagnosis still needs evidence that the traits were present in childhood, even if nobody named them at the time, and that they cause real difficulty now.
A diagnosis made by a consultant psychiatrist using the approach NICE recommends should be recognised by employers, universities and other doctors. Your own GP decides separately whether to take over prescribing, which is worth asking about before you start.
The consultant explains what they think is causing the difficulties instead, which is often anxiety, depression, poor sleep or autism. The report sets out the reasons and what to do next, so the appointment is useful whatever the answer.
For most adults, yes, with checks. Blood pressure, pulse and weight are measured before starting and at each review. Common side effects are poor appetite, trouble sleeping and a faster pulse. People with some heart conditions need a heart tracing first.
Usually yes, once you know how it affects you. It is an offence to drive if any medicine impairs your driving, so take care in the first days and after any dose change, and ask the consultant about your own situation.
No. You can book directly. A GP letter or summary of your medical record helps the consultant, particularly if you take other medicines or have had mental health treatment before.
This page is general information about a condition and it is not a diagnosis. Treatment depends on what a doctor finds when they examine you, and no outcome is guaranteed. If you are severely unwell, or if any of the warnings at the top of this page apply to you, go to your nearest emergency department or call 999.
General Medical Council
Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devicesGMC guidance, 2021
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement, 208 evidence based conclusions about the disorderFaraone, 2021
NICE
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diagnosis and managementNG87, 2018
NICE
Psychological Medicine
The World Health Organization adult ADHD self report scale, a short screening scale for use in the general populationKessler, 2005
The Lancet Psychiatry
Written and reviewed by the clinical team at The Wellness. Last reviewed 23 September 2026.
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