Differences between DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 revisions of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A commentary on implications and opportunities

Current ICD-11 descriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were recently published online, in the same year as the DSM-5-TR (text revised edition) was released. In this commentary, we compare and contrast the DSM-5/DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 diagnostic criteria, summarize important differences, and underscore their clinical and research implications. Overall, three major differences emerge: (1) The number of diagnostic criteria for inattention (IA), hyperactivity (HY) and impulsivity (IM) symptoms (i.e., DSM-5-TR has nine IA and nine HY/IM symptoms, whereas ICD-11 has 11 IA and 11 HY/IM sym-ptoms); (2) the clarity and standardization of diagnostic thresholds (i.e., the diagnostic thresholds for symptom count in IA and HY/IM domains are explicitly specified in DSM-5-TR, whereas in ICD-11 they are not); and (3) the partitioning of HY and IM symptoms into sub-dimensions (i.e., difference in partitioning HY and IM symptom domains relates to the differences between the current and previous editions of DSM and ICD, and this has important research implications). Currently, no ICD-11 based ADHD rating scales exist and while this absence represents an obstacle for respective research and clinical practice, it also presents opportunities for research development. This article highlights these challenges, possible remedies and novel research opportunities.