ADHD Evaluations and Diagnoses
The first step to managing symptoms is to get a diagnosis. Find a licensed mental health professional or physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, or family physician) who is specialized in ADHD assessments and diagnoses.
The specialist will conduct an interview that is designed to look at your past. They may request old reports and speak to your family members, teachers or friends to learn about your childhood behavior.
Symptoms
Children and adults who have symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have trouble with paying close attention, listening attentively and following directions--things that come naturally to others. These symptoms can also cause problems with learning and relationships at school, at home and work. Talk to your GP if you or your child exhibits these signs. They're not able to definitively diagnose ADHD but they can discuss your concerns with you and recommend specialists, if required.
A GP can assist you in determining whether your symptoms are related to ADHD by asking questions, looking over your health history and medical records, and performing physical examination. It is also possible to mention the background of ADHD in your family members to aid in diagnosis. The GP can then recommend you to a psychiatrist or psychologist to conduct a psychiatric assessment. adhd diagnosis uk adults could include the description and scales of your symptoms that are completed by you and your caregivers, along with physical examination, lab tests and a psychiatric exam.
Psychologists and psychiatrists can diagnose ADHD in children and adolescents by following established guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition. They look for inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity behaviors that last for a period of six months or more and determine if these symptoms impact your daily life at home at work, or at school.
Adults can be diagnosed with ADHD in the same manner but their symptoms are more likely to present differently as they get older. They can have a predominantly inattentive presentation of the disorder, a predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation or a combination of both.
If your adult symptoms meet the guidelines for diagnosis, you may be treated with medication. Adults with ADHD are usually prescribed psychostimulants that affect neurotransmitters. These drugs boost energy and alertness, improving focus and concentration. They can be prescribed as extended-release versions to reduce side effects. Adults who present with inattention ADHD may be treated with antidepressants. These medications, including Wellbutrin (bupropion) and Effexor (venlafaxine), affect the brain's neurotransmitters and enhance mood and focus.
Diagnosis
Getting a diagnosis of ADHD is the first step towards taking control of symptoms that may be affecting your life both professionally and personally. A psychiatric assessment is performed by an accredited mental health professional or physician (psychiatrist or neurologist, family physician or another type of medical specialist). To receive treatment for ADHD or other disorders, a person who has an underlying symptom-based diagnosis (such as ADHD) must meet certain guidelines set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association.
During the ADHD assessment, you will be asked questions about your child's behavior at home, in school, and in social situations. They will also review your child's developmental, medical and family history. They will then assess your child's behavior to those of other children of similar age. They can employ standardized ratings scales to measure the frequency of certain behavioral issues, such as the inability to focus, forgetting about things, and interrupting others.
There are three presentations of ADHD - predominately inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined. To be diagnosed with ADHD, your child must meet six of the nine symptoms that fall under either the inattentive or the hyperactive-impulsive categories. They must be present in at least two environments, make your child perform poorly, and last for six months.
If your child is not able to meet all the criteria to qualify for a diagnosis of inattentive ADHD the healthcare professional will assign them unspecified ADHD. They might also decide that your child does not have a hyperactive-impulsive presentation of the condition and not give them an official ADHD diagnosis.
A thorough psychiatric examination can include psychological and neuropsychological tests, as well as computer-based cognitive tests. Your healthcare provider will also examine your child's blood pressure and conduct a physical exam to determine if there are any medical conditions that may be related to ADHD symptoms, such as thyroid disorders or head injuries (Austerman, 2015). They may also ask teachers and parents for a thorough background and conduct an extensive interview of your child and your family. They will also consider whether there is any family history of ADHD, as ADHD is highly hereditary.
Treatment
If someone has been diagnosed with ADHD, he or she might require medication and/or behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy may include individual and family counseling, and also group therapy, such as dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. The first step to receive treatment is to locate an expert in diagnosing ADHD who is covered by your insurance. You can start by contacting your insurance company or a local mental health support group like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or CHADD to find professionals who specialize in ADHD in your region. Some doctors make use of computer programs, such as continuous performance tests, to check for impulsivity and attention issues. Others use brain scans, such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to look for abnormalities. Experts agree that the patient interview is the most crucial component of an assessment.
During the interview, the therapist will discuss the symptoms that led up to the appointment. The doctor will also request information from someone who is familiar with the patient very well for example, siblings, spouses or a parent. The doctor will also speak with nannies, teachers, coaches and other professionals who spend long periods of time with the patient. This is a thorough process that can take up to an hour. The doctor will write an evaluation report and then discuss the results with the patient.
It is extremely important to keep in mind that the diagnosis of ADHD depends on how the symptoms impact the person's daily life. This means that the person's symptoms must result in significant impairment in at minimum two major environments, like the workplace and at home. The impairment must be present for at least six months to be considered an appropriate diagnosis of ADHD.
During the interview, the doctor will go over the patient's medical and psychiatric history and determine whether or not the patient meets the diagnostic criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5). A valid diagnosis of ADHD is based on at least three of these five symptom categories: trouble paying attention to the smallest of details and making erroneous mistakes, difficulty in staying focused on tasks or activities and difficulty listening when spoken to and daydreaming or appearing to be distracted.
Prevention
Most people with inattentional ADHD symptoms aren't diagnosed. They're not as disruptive or impulsive as people with hyperactive ADHD and can be overlooked. However, their issues can result in consequences: they might underperform at school, clash with classmates or have difficulty to keep a job. These individuals also need to be treated with respect.
The term ADD is still used frequently, but the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines the condition as an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The newer definition recognizes that children may only have symptoms of inattention.
While many of the symptoms are present in all cases, there are a few differences in how the disorder manifests between boys and girls. Girls and children assigned female at birth (AFAB) tend to show more inattentive symptoms, which are less noticeable, than the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. This increases the likelihood that they will not be diagnosed, and less likely to seek treatment.
A thorough evaluation by a medical professional is required to make an accurate diagnosis. This includes a medical history review, a clinical interview, and physical examination. It is also a matter of reviewing reports from teachers, parents or other adults who know the person and also standard scales of rating completed by loved ones and teachers. These can be helpful in determining if the symptoms are severe enough to cause impairment in functioning.
It is important to conduct a thorough evaluation to determine if the symptoms are caused by another medical or psychiatric condition, such as anxiety or depression. In some cases, treating these other disorders can alleviate or eliminate ADHD symptoms.
Anyone diagnosed with the disorder should be aware of what to expect from their treatment and possible medication side effects. They should also remain in touch with their doctor to ensure that the medication is working exactly as it should.
The most common treatment for inattentive ADHD is stimulant drugs, which can help improve concentration and decrease impulsive behavior. Other treatments, including cognitive behavior therapy and parent training, can be very beneficial for adults and children who suffer from this condition, too. Patients who are prescribed ADHD medications should also be advised to seek regular check-ups with their health professionals since some patients may require adjustments in dosage or other treatment options.