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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) D R . M A R G A R E T G O PA U L , P H . D. , M S C P
I was recently asked to contribute to a book chapter: “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),” in Principle-Based Stepped Care and Brief Psychotherapy for Integrated Care Settings (Springer, Cham, 2018). Overall, the book aims to provide practitioners with evidence-based treatments for many of the clinical problems encountered within integrated care settings. Central to the book is a bestpractice template for providing behavioral stepped care in medical settings, including screening and assessment, levels of intervention and treatment, referrals, and collaboration with primary care and other specialties. Using this format, contributors detail science-based interventions for a diverse range of common conditions and issues, including depression; anxiety disorders; adherence to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder management; alcohol and other substance misuses; ADHD; chronic pain; neurocognitive disorders; paraphilia; problematic sexual interests; and sexual abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children.
symptoms of ADHD, ADHD ranks first in terms of referrals to primary care physicians (Barkley, 2006), and ADHD presents a significant challenge to educational systems (Forness & Kavale, 2002). With this understanding, this chapter on ADHD provides evidence-based approaches for professionals. These evidence-based approaches and principles are rendered in a way that allows a practitioner within an integrated care setting to effectively provide principle-based assessment and care. The focus is on brief therapies, which are mostly 3-5 sessions, often 20-30 minutes (the time frame used most in integrated care). BOOK CHAPTER TOPICS:
› A brief description of ADHD › Effective ways to screen for ADHD in the primary care setting › How to further assess if a screen returns positive
BOOK CHAPTER SUMMARY:
ADHD is believed to be the most frequently diagnosed childhood mental health disorder in the world (Furman, 2005). A recent meta-analysis investigating worldwide ADHD prevalence in children age 18 and under found an overall pooled estimate of 7.2% (Thomas et al., 2015). The prevalence rate in the United States is even higher. Pastor et al. (2015) found that 9.5% of children in the U.S. aged 4-17 years had been diagnosed with ADHD. That means that approximately 2 million children in the U.S. exhibit
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› Evidence-based stepped care and brief psychotherapeutic approaches for ADHD › What does not work with ADHD › When to refer to external specialty mental health › The role of the primary care provider/medical team in treatment › How to assess the impact on care/quality improvement processes
