ADHD Assessment in the UK
A thorough diagnostic assessment is required for a correct diagnosis. This will include screening questions sent out in advance and an interview with you and ideally someone you've known well from your childhood, an analysis of school reports from the past (if they are available) as well as a thorough consultation.
The NHS has specific guidelines for ADHD evaluations. Many people prefer to go to a private healthcare provider in order to speed up the process, and to avoid long waiting lists.
What is ADHD assessment?
An ADHD assessment is an opportunity for medical professionals to listen to you and understand your difficulties. You will be working with an experienced psychiatrist to discover what's going on and how it may be affecting your life. They will assess you using various tools such as checklists of symptoms and scales for assessing your behaviour. They will also consider the family history of your parents and any previous experiences with mental health issues. The psychiatrist will then be able confirm which of the three primary subtypes of mental illness you may have.
The specialist will also determine if there are any other medical or psychological conditions that might cause similar symptoms to ADHD. This is important as If you're misdiagnosed with ADHD the symptoms might not improve. The specialist will also assess the severity of your symptoms and how they affect your daily life using the same criteria that an NHS specialist would employ.
Make a list ahead of time of any questions or concerns you may have. This will help ensure that all your requirements are met and that nothing is left unanswered. It is also important to make note of any difficulties you are experiencing. Writing them down will aid in remembering them, and can make the process of getting an ADHD diagnosis faster and more efficient.
Bring any relevant paperwork to your appointment. This could include any performance evaluations from your job, or old report cards from school. You can also help the specialist by bringing in any documents you may have that prove how ADHD has affected your life.
You may be asked to fill out pre-screening questions prior to your appointment. They can be accessed by logging into your portal dashboard and will typically be available to fill in before you meet with your psychiatrist. This should be done as quickly as you can and will cut down the amount of time you'll wait.
How can I get an ADHD assessment?
If you or your child is suffering from symptoms of ADHD being diagnosed could be the first step to receiving the help and support you require. In the UK doctors are not able to diagnose ADHD. However they are able to refer a patient to a psychiatrist.
The NHS will cover an ADHD assessment with a psychologist or psychiatrist. The assessment will last between 45 and 90 minutes. You will be asked questions about your general mental health as well as the history of mental health of your family members and your symptoms. The specialist will also look at any other medical and psychological issues that could contribute to your symptoms.
In addition to assessing your present symptoms, your doctor will ask if you have had these same problems in the past. Recommended Internet page for diagnosing ADHD state that ADHD can only be diagnosed as an adult if symptoms have been present since childhood.
If you've had these symptoms as an adult your doctor will ask if your problems have improved or worsened over time. They will also consider any other factors that could influence your symptoms, such as stress and anxiety. They may also suggest that you try an online group-based ADHD education and support program or provide recommendations for other treatments like cognitive behaviour therapy.
If you're having difficulty accessing an NHS-funded ADHD assessment, you can use your Right to Choose when you live in England. This means that you can choose to go private if you are satisfied with the waiting time for an NHS assessment or if you wish to avoid waiting. Private assessments are more costly, however, they offer direct treatment. Your specialist will prepare complete reports that you can take to your GP and will go over any recommended medications or other treatment options with you. If you request, they'll also send a recommendation letter to your school or work place. The cost of the letter will depend on the amount of time required to write the letter.
What happens during an ADHD assessment?
An ADHD assessment starts with a psychiatric assessment. Your doctor will go over your symptom history and ask you questions about your development, health, family and lifestyle. They will also use standardised questionnaires that will be mailed to you prior to your appointment. They will also interview other people, including spouses, siblings or parents as well as ask your friends teachers, coaches or other colleagues for their opinion too. The interviews aren't designed to criticise, but rather to determine other factors that may be causing symptoms like depression or anxiety disorders.
During this interview your doctor will take a look at any records that you bring like evaluations of your performance at work or copies of previous psychological tests or even old school reports. The assessor will also spend time talking to the person who knows you best for example, a spouse, sibling or parent. This is done to gather information about your childhood because you may have forgotten some details or that your behaviours may have changed over time.
The psychiatrist will also analyse any information you've given on the standardised questionnaires before your appointment, so that they have a complete picture of your symptoms. They will also review any other data from your past like old school records or a medical or neurological exam. This is to make sure that you meet the standardized criteria for ADHD. For children, this is at least six established ADHD behaviors in one of the two categories of inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity over a period of six months. For adults, this is at least five established symptoms in the same time.
Your doctor will then conduct a psychiatric interview in person with you after collecting all relevant details. They will review the information they've collected and determine if you are suffering from symptoms of ADHD. This involves assessing your symptoms by using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5).
If your psychiatrist determines that you suffer from ADHD If he or she determines that you have ADHD, they will send a letter to your GP. The doctor will then determine the most appropriate treatment plan which could include the use of pharmacological (medication) or psychological therapy (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). In England, Wales and Northern Ireland you have the legal right to choose your preferred healthcare provider, which means you can consult your own private clinician to get an ADHD assessment if you do not want to wait for the NHS.
What happens after an ADHD assessment?
The process of getting a professional ADHD diagnosis can be life-changing. It can help you access treatment and also reduce feelings of confusion and self-doubt about your symptoms.
If you suspect that your child or you are suffering from ADHD, the first step is to discuss it with an GP. They can refer you directly to a psychologist or psychiatrist who is the only UK healthcare professional certified to diagnose ADHD. NHS patients have to wait months to get an appointment, so many choose to use private instead.
After you have been recommended for an assessment and/or your child will be interviewed in person by the clinician. The interview will cover subjects such as health, development family history, lifestyle. The doctor may request to speak with other people like teachers or daycare providers. This is not an attempt to check your answers, but rather to discover what your symptoms can do to your child or you in different situations.
The clinician will use ratings scales to determine the frequency of certain symptoms like anxiety or difficulty focusing. This will determine if meet the standardized criteria for ADHD. They will also determine if there are any other issues that you might be dealing with like depression or anxiety disorders. If you have a family history of ADHD, it is worth telling your physician about this too, as there are genetic influences that affect whether or not you develop the disorder.
Following the psychiatric examination your doctor will prepare a thorough report that you can bring to your GP. This will include a detailed diagnosis as well as a treatment recommendation.
If you are an adult who has been diagnosed with ADHD Your GP might suggest a test of medication. If the medication works you must inform your insurance company and the DVLA, because you will have to update your driving license. If you're parents of one of your children who has been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD, your therapist could suggest that you attend an adult group to learn more about managing the condition together. This will improve your relationship with your child and help you become an empathetic and confident parent.