In 2026, Jackie Chan opened the account Xiaohongshu and shared everyday images at the age of over 70. In the first video, the martial arts star suddenly mentioned ADHD when asking the question: "How can my ADHD focus attention?
Jackie Chan's short sharing quickly caused discussion. One of the reasons is the popular view that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder mainly appears in children. While Jackie Chan was 71 years old at the time of publicizing his condition.
According to Chinese media on September 11, the Shanghai Mental Health Center (China) has a separate analysis of Jackie Chan's case and ADHD in adults. This medical facility said that ADHD is a neurological developmental disorder that originates from childhood, but does not mean that the manifestations will disappear when an adult grows up.
According to the "Expert Consent on Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD in Adults in China in 2023" cited by the Shanghai Mental Health Center, about 30-50% of people with ADHD have symptoms that continue to last until adulthood. Some cases are not detected when they are young, and only when they grow up and encounter difficulties in work and life do they realize the problem.
In adults, ADHD is also not necessarily expressed by running or being hyperactive as often imagined about children with this condition.
The manifestations can turn into difficulty maintaining attention for a long time, being easily affected by surrounding factors, delaying work, difficulty managing time, restlessness or difficulty controlling behavior and emotions.
This is also the reason why Jackie Chan's public announcement of ADHD at the age of over 70 attracted attention. According to the Shanghai Mental Health Center, the case of the actor shows that ADHD symptoms can still affect life when a person is older.
However, experts especially note that being distracted does not mean having ADHD.
After celebrities publicly announced their status, many contents such as "ADHD signs" or quick tests appeared on social networks. Some people found themselves often procrastinating, losing focus, or having difficulty sitting still and immediately admitted to having ADHD.
The Shanghai Mental Health Center believes that this is one of the common misconceptions. ADHD diagnosis requires doctors to exploit medical history, clinical evaluations and perform necessary tests, instead of relying on a few questions on the Internet.
In fact, the demand for ADHD examinations in adults in China is increasing significantly. The Shanghai Mental Health Center said that in the first 6 months of 2025, the adult ADHD clinic of the unit recorded 678 first-time examinations and diagnoses, an increase of 125.2% compared to the same period last year and 13 times higher than the same period in 2023, the time before the specialized clinic went into operation.
ADHD does not also mean that a person cannot study, work or achieve success. The goal of treatment in adults is to control symptoms, improve performance in life, work and relationships, thereby improving the quality of life. Depending on the case, doctors can choose medications, cognitive-behavioral therapy and other interventions.
