Why ADHD Diagnosis is Necessary?

A neurodevelopmental disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a person represents behavioral symptoms. As the name suggests it is attention deficiency and hyperactivity disorder. They feel anxious about simple life scenarios. It affects both children and adults. Individuals with ADHD do not have control over their nerves. Children with this disease have difficulty focusing on certain things. Little things annoy them. They feel anxious about simple life scenarios. They are usually forgetful about things during their tasks and responsibilities. They cannot wait for their turns during discussions, as they cannot concentrate on other people’s speeches.  Certain factors for the disease may be genetic, environmental, and psychological.

HOW ADHD IN ADULTS IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT IN CHILDREN?

Children with ADHD:

• They had difficulty paying attention to their academic tasks.
• They see a blurry vision of the board during classes.
• They cannot able to follow instructions.
• If they perform the task the result will be unorganized.
• The diagnosis is less challenging as they cannot sit still, hit the floor continuously by foot, and talk excessively.

Adults with ADHD:

• They had difficulty paying attention to their meetings and schedules.
• They cannot maintain their relations long term.
• They interrupt others during discussions.
• They are expected to control their symptoms more independently.
• The diagnosis requires a thorough assessment as the symptoms in the individual overlap with other disease symptoms.

How to Diagnose ADHD in Adults on the basis of Causes and symptoms?

Inattention:

They strive to maintain attention on tasks that require hard mental focus or simply they ignore such tasks. Their work is usually unorganized with worse time management. They get easily distracted during performances. They can’t keep up their work with deadlines. They are demented while listening to multiple instructions. Forgetful while performing daily living routines like being unable to pay bills, manage their finances, etc.

Hyperactivity:

Adults have less hyperactivity than children do however; they feel inner restlessness and trouble sitting still. They can’t wait for their turn during conversations and certain life activities (impatience). They usually become restless during the relaxation hours of the day.

Impulsivity:

Adults with ADHD make hurried decisions without thinking about the results. Due to their hasty decisions, they have difficulties while maintaining their relations, financial issues, and professional matters.

Mental health and emotional challenges:

They built low self-esteem in daily living. They got frustrated due to repetitive failures in not only professional decisions but in daily living activities. Some people are also diagnosed with depression and anxiety during ADHD.

DIAGNOSIS OF ADHD IN ADULTS:

Adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is unable to be diagnosed with a single, reliable test; rather an extensive examination must be conducted. The assessment requires several methods to collect information and to get a correct diagnosis. Firstly, we need to check a person’s medical history and rule out other expected factors and causes of the symptoms. Here is a detailed explanation of the diagnostic procedures.

Medical history:

The first step in the diagnosis of any disease includes a thorough medical history. For this, healthcare professionals ask about the surgical history, family history, and overall patient health. They will also look for the prenatal and perinatal causes. The practitioner will ask about any past head injury, mental disorders, or neurological conditions. They should encircle the past school records, and conduct, any psychological therapy. Medical officers must look for differential diagnoses as symptoms in adults may overlap with another disease.

Clinical interviews:

Healthcare professionals including psychologists or neurologists must set interviews with individuals. During the interview, symptoms must be assessed by gathering certain behavioral patterns. Their medical history needs special attention and must be ruled out with specific symptoms. Clinicians must look for the above symptoms of ADHD like impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention.

Which are the Rating scales and questionnaire for the efficient diagnosis of ADHD in Adults?

Adult ADHD-RS-IV:

The adult ADHD-RS-IV could be used to record specific self-reported behavioral responses. In adults, the questionnaire was used to assess the symptoms of ADHD. This scale not only records the severity of symptoms but also how they affect individual life. It consists of several questions circulating ADHD symptoms, involving inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The individual is allowed to rate the frequency and severity of their symptoms usually in the past six months. Each statement scores 3 on this scale at the end of questionnaire completion health care sums up these scores. The total scores confirm the severity of the symptoms.  Based on all these calculations medical practitioners confirm whether ADHD is present or not.

BAARS- IV:

It is designed to help identify the presence of ADHD and its subtypes, such as chiefly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, or combined presentation. It is also a self-reported scale used to calculate the severity of ADHD symptoms. Its subtypes are also used for symptom recording. In the end, the summation of scores confirms the presence of the disorder.