Getting Diagnosed with Adult ADHD
Getting a diagnosis as an adult with ADHD can be difficult, though it is getting easier. Partly this is because parents of children with ADHD are recognising similar behaviours in themselves. Partly it is because children with ADHD do not suddenly lose it on their 18th birthday, and so the medical profession has over time collected more experience with ADHD in adults. And it's become more well known and written about - see TV programmes with famous people, etc.
So, how do you go about it?
Here's the short version.
So, how do you go about it?
Here's the short version.
- Go to your GP.
- Tell them you suspect adult ADHD - and tell them why.
- Ask them to refer you to an appropriately qualified mental health professional with specialist expertise in diagnosing adult ADHD.
- Eventually you should get an appointment with a psychiatrist for an assessment. According to the Scottish guidelines (below) this could actually be up to 3 appointments.
- If you are diagnosed, you may be offered help, including medication. Prescribing this will be taken over by your GP, with a check-in with the psychiatrist at intervals.
More details
If you're in Scotland, it'll be useful to know that The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland published its latest guidelines in June 2017: ADHD in adults: good practice guidelines.
These are guidelines to GPs and mental health professionals on diagnosing, treating, and managing adults with ADHD, and on setting up a good service for them. It's written by the RCP in Scotland Special Interest Group in ADHD, co-chairs Marie Bollson and Prem Shah.
That phrase "appropriately qualified mental health professional with specialist expertise in diagnosing adult ADHD" is the key one. Write it down and take it with you if you think you're likely to forget in the stress of the moment.
These are guidelines to GPs and mental health professionals on diagnosing, treating, and managing adults with ADHD, and on setting up a good service for them. It's written by the RCP in Scotland Special Interest Group in ADHD, co-chairs Marie Bollson and Prem Shah.
That phrase "appropriately qualified mental health professional with specialist expertise in diagnosing adult ADHD" is the key one. Write it down and take it with you if you think you're likely to forget in the stress of the moment.
Some useful pointers before your GP visit
The section on p. 7, Pre-referral recommendations, suggests that referrers (which I take to mean the GPs referring you to a psychiatrist) use some screening tools before deciding to refer you. They suggest these questionnaires:
Both of them are included in the appendix of the report, p.45 to the end.
So it makes sense to look at these questionnaires and start to collect information, memories, etc. on how you have been affected and how you have come to the decision to suspect that ADHD might be on the cards. You'll have some concrete pieces of information and evidence to give to your GP - and they might find this useful in writing a referral letter.
The document also gives you an idea of the assessment procedure once you've been referred to a psychiatrist. See the flow chart on p. 18.
- Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale ASRS
- Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale W-FIRS
Both of them are included in the appendix of the report, p.45 to the end.
So it makes sense to look at these questionnaires and start to collect information, memories, etc. on how you have been affected and how you have come to the decision to suspect that ADHD might be on the cards. You'll have some concrete pieces of information and evidence to give to your GP - and they might find this useful in writing a referral letter.
The document also gives you an idea of the assessment procedure once you've been referred to a psychiatrist. See the flow chart on p. 18.
More useful documents
You might also be interested in the NICE Guidelines Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management covering ADHD in England. (NICE = National Institute of Health and Care Excellence) www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG72/chapter/Recommendations
The SIGN Guidelines for Scotland on Management of ADHD in children and young people are on this page, which has links to the full guideline and to the quick reference guide. (SIGN = Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network)
www.sign.ac.uk/sign-112-management-of-attention-deficit-and-hyperkinetic-disorders-in-children-and-young-people.html
They don't cover adults, but you might find them useful even so.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland is also working on improving ADHD services in Scotland, again for children and young people.
www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/mental_health/adhd_service_improvement.aspx
This information is my distilled knowledge as a non-medic. If you find something is wrong or misleading, let me know, and if you have information to add, also let me know. I'm particularly interested in the variations throughout Scotland, and in information from the rest of the UK, and in your experiences with private diagnoses.
The SIGN Guidelines for Scotland on Management of ADHD in children and young people are on this page, which has links to the full guideline and to the quick reference guide. (SIGN = Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network)
www.sign.ac.uk/sign-112-management-of-attention-deficit-and-hyperkinetic-disorders-in-children-and-young-people.html
They don't cover adults, but you might find them useful even so.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland is also working on improving ADHD services in Scotland, again for children and young people.
www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/mental_health/adhd_service_improvement.aspx
This information is my distilled knowledge as a non-medic. If you find something is wrong or misleading, let me know, and if you have information to add, also let me know. I'm particularly interested in the variations throughout Scotland, and in information from the rest of the UK, and in your experiences with private diagnoses.