Should I have an ADHD assessment?
Prior to an assessment, we will send you screening questionnaires, or you can download them from our ‘Contact Us’ page.
These will be scored to decide whether you would benefit from an ADHD assessment. If the results indicate that ADHD is likely to be present, our team will go over the assessment options as there are two different types available for adults.
What to expect in an assessment
ADHD assessments at our clinic will only be conducted by ADHD expert consultant psychiatrists and psychologists who have extensive experience in the field. All assessments and ongoing treatment will be in line with NICE Guidelines
Types of assessment
Tier 1 adult assessments – A multi-disciplinary option which means you have an appointment with a psychologist, and an appointment with a psychiatrist who will complete their report together. This gives a comprehensive and nuanced perspective. Scroll to the bottom of this page for more details. Their report will provide a diagnosis, comprehensive management plan and treatment options.
Tier 2 adult assessments – Conducted by a psychiatrist who will complete a report and provide a diagnosis. Their report will provide a diagnosis, comprehensive management plan and treatment options.
Child assessments – Completed by an experienced Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist. Their report will provide a diagnosis, comprehensive management plan and treatment options.
About the assessment
As well as the structured clinical assessment(s), you will be asked questions about your symptom history, developmental history (symptoms from childhood to adulthood), medical history, social and academic experiences, drug and alcohol abuse history, family, and other aspects of your life.
It is important you are as open and honest as possible in your assessment so that your diagnosis will be entirely fact based. In addition, the consultant needs to consider any illegal substance use (past or present) to ensure they only prescribe medication that will be safe for you to take.
Each appointment will last between 1 and 2 hours.
You will be asked to complete further diagnostic questionnaires.
In some cases it may be necessary for you to be weighed and/or have your blood pressure taken.
Collateral information
Part of your assessment will include us obtaining information from a familiar person who has known you since childhood. By doing this, the consultants get a better understanding of how your ADHD symptoms have affected you throughout your life.
If there is not a familiar person available to provide this collateral information, it is likely that you will need to have a QbTest.
QbTest
In some cases it may be recommended that you complete a QbTest.
A QbTest is a diagnostic screening tool which involves a 15-20 minute computer based test, conducted in person, measuring the three core symptoms of ADHD; activity, attention and impulsivity.
The data from the test is compared to a normative control group of the same sex and age who do not have ADHD and results are instantly generated and presented in a report.
Scenarios that warrant this may be that the results of your screening questionnaires are ‘borderline’, or where a ‘familiar person’ who would normally provide essential collateral information is not available to speak to your assigned consultant.
It is also extremely useful to monitor the effects of any prescribed medication on a person’s ADHD symptoms.
Why multi-disciplinary assessments?
Choosing to undergo an ADHD assessment by both a psychologist and a psychiatrist offers a comprehensive and nuanced perspective.
Neurodevelopmental difficulties are largely cognitive constructs diagnosed based on (mainly) observable behavioural symptoms. In simple terms – neurodevelopmental difficulties are problems with how our brain develops and we figure this out mainly by looking at how people behave in certain situations. A Psychologist can carry out various psychometrics and can also complete cognitive assessments to look at impairments associated with ADHD. Their extensive training in behavioural and cognitive theory allows for a more in-depth evaluation, ensuring a holistic understanding of an individual’s challenges.
A psychiatrist, with their medical training, brings a unique viewpoint to the assessment, examining aspects from a clinical and physiological standpoint. A psychiatrist is medically trained and will undertake a structured medical assessment of your mental health and psychiatric history. This means that the doctor will look at other health conditions, especially mental health conditions, which may either exist alongside possible ADHD or exist instead of ADHD. For example, if people have depression and/or anxiety that is not responding to standard treatments, sometimes this is because ADHD is present and needs to be treated first to enable other conditions to be treated subsequently.
The collaboration between a psychologist and a psychiatrist, (supplemented by input from a trusted, familiar person, and the completion of targeted questionnaires) is exceptionally thorough. It offers patients a more detailed understanding of their presentation, diagnosis, behaviours and cognitions, enhancing the overall quality of care and paving the way for a tailored intervention plan.
This thorough approach facilitates personalised support for your journey; a psychologist making in depth and specific recommendations for work and/or education focusing on the social emotional and practical difficulties associated with ADHD; a psychiatrist recommending and prescribing medication based on an assessment of its potential benefits, diligently monitoring its effectiveness, and observing progress and improvements to ensure optimal outcomes.
