Adult ADHD Diagnostic Assessment and Treatment
Many adults with ADHD have a hard time getting diagnosed. Doctors need to assess whether symptoms are present today or whether they were present at different times in the course of their lives (technically, before age 12).
Usually, a thorough assessment requires more than one person. It is beneficial to include family members, coworkers and teachers.
Self-Assessment Tool
The Adult ADHD Symptom Self Report Scale is the most well-known tool for self-assessment among adults suffering from ADHD. It is available online and can be completed by adults at home. This tool asks a series of questions regarding symptoms that are commonly encountered by people suffering from ADHD. It can be a useful first step to determine whether or not to seek out further evaluation from a healthcare professional.
Other adult symptom inventories include the BADDS42 and the AD/HD Symptom Inventory for Adults (AD/HD-IS), and the CAARS44. The BADDS is a 40-item test that provides context for ADHD symptoms in real-life scenarios It is a 40-item measure. It can be administered either by self-report or as an instrument that is rated by an observer. It also provides useful supplementary factors in addition to DSM-5 scales. Age-based norms are also available.
These inventories of symptoms can aid in the diagnostic process by providing a broader range of data points than a conventional interview, but they are limited by their limited positive predictive value. This means that they are able to over-identify possible ADHD cases. This is because many of the symptoms that these tools assess are also present in healthy individuals and are not specific to ADHD.
Another issue is that a diagnosis of ADHD must be based on the presence of symptoms over time and in various settings. This requires a thorough assessment of functioning from several different angles, and the assessment of comorbidities, like depression or substance use disorders. These comorbidities are often associated with ADHD and can affect the quality of life for people living with these conditions.
Despite the limitations, self-assessment tools remain useful as a first screening tool that can help a person recognize the possibility of having higher levels of ADHD symptoms and should be able to consider having a medical evaluation. This is particularly relevant for a person with concerns that their symptoms are impacting their quality of life in the school, at work, or within their family.
An interview with a clinical ADHD specialist can give a more complete picture and a greater degree of confidence in the diagnosis. They can make use of a variety of information including neuropsychological tests and other performance-based measures as well as anecdotal data from the patient's everyday life.
Diagnosis
Only a licensed mental health professional with the proper training to conduct such assessments can diagnose adult ADHD. While online tools like self-tests and rating scales may provide an indication of whether your symptoms might be caused by ADHD but they are not able to give you an exact diagnosis.
A professional ADHD evaluation involves a comprehensive interview, information gathered from other sources like a spouse or family member, and standardized psychometric tests. A thorough evaluation is conducted to determine whether the individual's symptoms have a severe enough impact to cause impairment in two or more areas of their life. A person may be affected when they are fired from a job, experiencing financial difficulties due to not paying their bills on time or experiencing tension and discord in relationships.
In the interview, it is important that the patient discusses the symptoms in a candid manner and honestly. Adults suffering from ADHD often shy away from their symptoms because they're embarrassed or fearful that others will judge them. While this may be difficult, it is critical for a doctor to have the most complete understanding of the individual's symptoms and the impact they have on their lives.
Structured diagnostic interviews are available to assess adult ADHD and can help make the process less reliant on symptom inventories based on the DSM, which were developed for children and do not always translate well to adults. Adult ADHD inventories and symptom checklists, executive function inventories, and impairment/quality of life scores are also beneficial to the evaluation process as they allow the clinician to monitor a patient's progress throughout treatment.
Request your primary care physician for a referral to an expert local to you who is skilled in the diagnosis of adult ADHD. You may also request an insurance provider's referral, contact a university-based hospital or check with your local psychology group or support group to locate a qualified professional. If you're having difficulty finding someone near you or in your area, you can call an international company that provides consultations via video or telephone to connect you with an expert. These services are a reasonable method of getting the assistance that you require right now.
Treatment
Adults with ADHD may experience difficulties at work, home and in their relationships. Inattention, disorganization and impulsivity symptoms can affect self-esteem and social performance, causing frustration and the feeling that things will never be the same again. It's crucial to find a professional that is aware of the difficulties associated with diagnosing and treating adults with ADHD.
Adults must show more severe symptoms than children to be diagnosed. Adults have to show chronic, severe problems in various areas of their lives. It is essential to take an entire medical history since certain diseases may have similar symptoms to ADHD such as thyroid disorders, hearing or vision problems, and seizures. In addition, certain medications and drugs can trigger symptoms that resemble those of ADHD.
Diagnostic interviews structured to help clinicians confirm that the symptoms being observed are indeed related to ADHD and not other neurodevelopmental disorders or psychiatric illnesses. This can include asking about the patient's education, work and family history. The physician can also inquire about drug and alcohol use, past and present, and any other health problems, such as a sleep disorder or hearing or vision disorders.
Other tests are available in addition to the structured interviews. These can include IQ and achievement tests, and a variety of psychological or neuropsychological testing. These tests aren't able to diagnose ADHD, but they can provide valuable information regarding the effects of ADHD on an individual.
Once a correct diagnosis has been established, psychosocial treatment and pharmacological treatments are often employed to treat the symptoms. These may be done either individually or in combination. For example, a patient might be treated using cognitive behavioral therapy to identify and alter "thought distortions" and improve his ability to prioritize tasks and organize. ADHD medication can be used to reduce impulsiveness, which makes it hard for patients to complete their school or work assignments.
All adults with a newly diagnosed ADHD or uncontrolled symptoms are advised to consult their doctor within the next 30 days. Then, regular follow-ups are recommended until symptoms and functioning have improved. It is essential that the health professional monitors comorbid conditions such as anxiety and mood disorders when treating.
Support
Adults with ADHD can seek help in various ways. Some are at ease in online forums and peer support groups online like those offered by ADDitude magazine. Participating in assessments for adhd in adults and camps for teenagers, children, and adults with ADHD can aid in connecting with others. These groups provide support, materials, resources and guest speakers to assist in learning how to cope, as well as other life skills.
Diagnosing an adult is trickier than diagnosing a child and a majority of the instruments available for self-assessment are not able to give a precise diagnosis. The symptom guidelines in the DSM-V are specifically designed to help diagnose children, while an adult ADHD diagnosis is only made after a comprehensive clinical evaluation that includes structured diagnostic interviews and a variety of objective tests. Neuropsychological tests and performance-based assessments are especially helpful in evaluating executive function issues. They give a doctor an opportunity to observe the symptoms in action, and can provide a more complete picture of the extent of impairment than self-report instruments.
It is essential to interview other significant people in the life of the patient, such as the spouse or spouse, parents or siblings and employers. It isn't easy for the person being evaluated to open up and discuss their issues. Most people with ADHD have a low awareness of how their behaviors affect others around them and could be reluctant to discuss negative effects of their behavior.
A thorough evaluation involves a thorough review of the patient's history to find any psychiatric or non-psychiatric conditions which could explain the symptoms. It is not unusual for a person with ADHD to be diagnosed with more than one disorder.
Since symptom scores are based on subjective perceptions it is crucial that adults with ADHD have someone else fill out questionnaires designed to assess their symptoms and impact on quality of life. This person should be a close friend, sibling or parent who is familiar with the individual and is able to confirm their observations. Some doctors may also ask the individual to have a trusted friend or employer complete similar forms to gain additional information that might not be elicited in a traditional clinical interview.