Diagnosis of ADHD

Diagnosis of ADHD often occurs based on the history of ADHD symptoms, which usually develop before the age of 7 years¹ and are often first noticed in the school setting.

• Evidence from interviews and assessment scales, and evaluation of school and medical records provide a means of screening for ADHD prior to formal diagnosis.^2-4

• Clinical examination for features of ADHD also forms an essential part of any diagnosis and highlights the presence of other illnesses with symptoms that overlap with those of ADHD.⁵

• Formal diagnosis of ADHD is based on symptomatology and conducted by secondary care specialists using validated diagnostic criteria tools (e.g. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision [DSM-IV-TR]).^1,4
  

In order to reach a diagnosis, a comprehensive evaluation of information gathered from a number of sources is performed (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Sources of information gathered prior to diagnosis of ADHD.³

References

1. American Psychiatric Association (APA). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (Text Revision): DMS-IV-TR. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc, 2000.
2. Quinlan DM. Assessment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbidities. In: Brown TE (Ed). Attention-deficit Disorders and Comorbidities in Children, Adolescents, and Adults (1st ed). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press Inc, 2000.
3. Selikowitz M. Diagnosis and assessment. In: Selikowitz M (ed). ADHD: the facts (1st edn). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
4. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults, 2008. Accessed 8 August 2011.
5. Taylor E, Döpfner M, Sergeant J, et al. European clinical guidelines for hyperkinetic disorder – first upgrade. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2004; 13 (Suppl 1): I7-30.