The diagnosis of ADHD and its implications

Project (M.S.W., Social Work)--California State University, Sacramento, 2013This study focused on exploring factors related to misdiagnosis of children with ADHD from the perspectives of professionals (N=25) who work in the mental health settings. Study sample was a non-probability convenience sample recruited by the researcher. The study found that the majority of the participants perceived misdiagnosis as a common occurrence due to widely prevalent confusion between ADHD and other disorders. Independent samples t-test revealed that between the groups of professionals who felt the existence of misdiagnosis and the group that did not perceive misdiagnosis there was mean difference on the number of years of their practice and this mean difference was 10.23. However, this mean difference was not statistically significant (p=.09). Another significant finding was that the association between the reliability of measurements in the diagnosis of ADHD and the professional qualifications of the respondents and this association was strong (Cramer???s V= .698) which is statistically significant at p< .01. Additional reasons for misdiagnosis revealed through clinician???s suggestions and responses to open ended questions include the clinicians??? lack of training on differentiating ADHD from other disorders, inaccurate assessments completed by clinicians, lack of treatment for\ud v\ud preexisting conditions, and pressures from pharmaceutical and licensing companies to obtain a diagnosis. The majority of the therapists stated that a variety of disorders overlap and/or are comorbid with ADHD such as, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder with the likelihood of incorrectly diagnosing and providing treatment to children. The study concluded with therapists??? recommendations to help improve the current training that graduate students receive. Some of the recommendations that were made by the participants were: providing future professionals more extensive clinical practice in a one-to-one setting with children, increasing the understanding of the current assessment tools that are available, understanding the symptoms associated with ADHD and other mental health disorders, and providing training through additional class curriculum that focuses on properly assessing, diagnosing, and providing treatment to children.Social Wor