John Kruse MD, PhD – San Francisco psychiatrist, father of twins, marathon runner

“Are members of the news media tiptoeing around obvious questions about Trump's instability?” CNN recently asked. The president’s mental health is “the hardest story for the media to cover,” the article states, despite growing calls to address the question head-on. Among those bringing up the issue is George Conway, husband of counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway. He asserts that Trump has narcissistic personality disorder. This is one of the main questions I get as I talk with people at book signings and online.

Currently we define ADHD almost entirely by signs, not symptoms. This is distinct from other mental health diagnoses. To know whether someone is depressed, or bipolar, or narcissistic, you have to know what they're feeling, what they're thinking and what's motivating them. To do that you need to interview the patient directly in order to evaluate them. You don’t need to sit down with President Trump personally to assess whether he interrupts people pervasively, frequently blurts out comments, or behaves in impulsive ways. These are all observable phenomena. This is why I argue you can legitimately make an ADHD diagnosis for him without having interviewed him.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the more common mental health conditions, and not just among kids – as has long been the common assumption. It affects at least 4.4 percent of American adults. I say “at least,” because ADHD is widely unreported and often undiagnosed among adults. This is one of the main reasons I wrote “Recognizing Adult ADHD: What Donald Trump Can Teach Us About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” – to raise awareness. Having a president who consistently demonstrates ADHD behaviors yields a national teachable moment on this misunderstood condition.

Internet commentators have been nosing into whether Mr. Trump habitually snorts Adderall, a stimulant medication prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Derisive and joking commentary […]