Decision 3: How can I avoid the barriers and biases that impair ADHD diagnosis for underserved populations?
Diagnosing a patient with ADHD is a complex and nuanced process. This 7-part guide highlights key considerations and decisions clinicians face along the way.
ADHD IN ADULTS: How does ADHD present in adults? Does current DSM diagnostic criteria adequately capture adult ADHD?
A: Understanding the weak points in standard diagnostic criteria — and how to factor for them in evaluation and treatment — requires a nuanced understanding of how ADHD manifests in adults… | Keep reading on ADDitude »
ADHD IN GIRLS: How does ADHD present in girls and women?
A: Research and clinical practices are built around male presentations of ADHD, and science has historically paid little attention to female manifestations and impairments… | Keep reading on ADDitude »
LATE DIAGNOSIS: How does ADHD present in older adults? How should clinicians change diagnostic and treatment approaches? (ADHD)?
A: Though the diagnostic manual was rewritten in 2013 to include descriptors for adult ADHD, it still does not adequately consider how the disorder manifests and evolves in patients past mid-life… | Keep reading on ADDitude »
CLINICIAN GUIDELINES: How can I, as a clinician, ensure more equitable and effective care for African American children with ADHD?
A: Great care requires clinicians to probe and consider each individual patient’s unique experiences, and the role that ADHD stigma plays in BIPOC communities… | Keep reading on ADDitude »
ADHD AND WOMEN: How should clinicians consider the impact of hormones, trauma, and mental health when evaluating girls for ADHD?
A: New research suggests that to effectively diagnose ADHD symptoms in women and girls, doctors should consider hormonal fluctuations, trauma, family dynamics, self-esteem, and eating habits… | Keep reading on ADDitude »
ADHD AND WOMEN: How does the presentation of ADHD change in perimenopause and menopause?
A: What we do know – about menopause in general, the role of estrogen, and the effects of hormonal fluctuations on ‘ADHD-like’ symptoms – may help us understand the menopausal transition for women with ADHD… | Keep reading on ADDitude »
CLINICIAN GUIDELINES: How can clinicians protect the mental health of LGBTQA+ youth with ADHD?
A: Health care providers must also do their part to provide inclusive care and reduce barriers to mental health care services for this group, as 60% of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to access it…. | Keep reading on ADDitude »
RELATED RESOURCES
Free Webinar: The Science Behind Diagnosing and Treating ADHD in Older Adults
Expert Webinar with David Goodman, M.D., FAPA | Listen now on ADDitude »
Free Webinar: Equity in ADHD Care
Expert Webinar with Tumaini Rucker Coker, M.D., MBA | Listen now on ADDitude »
Free Webinar: Key Concerns in Diagnosing and Treating Adolescents with ADHD
Expert Webinar with Timothy Wilens, M.D. | Listen now on ADDitude »
7-Week Guide to Differential Diagnosis of ADHD, from Medscape x MDEdge x ADDitude:
DECISION 1: How can I better understand ADHD, its causes, and its manifestations?
DECISION 2: What do I need to understand about ADHD that is not represented in the DSM?
>DECISION 3: How can I avoid the barriers and biases that impair ADHD diagnosis for underserved populations?
DECISION 4: How can I best consider psychiatric comorbidities when evaluating for ADHD?
DECISION 5: How can I differentiate ADHD from the comorbidities most likely to present at school and/or work?
DECISION 6: How can I best consider trauma and personality disorders through the lens of ADHD?
DECISION 7: What diagnostic criteria and tests should I perform as part of a differential diagnosis for ADHD?
