Abstract

According to Barkley (2005), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common reasons children are referred to mental health workers in the United States and is now one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders associated with childhood. The diagnostic criteria and labels for ADHD have changed over the last several decades, and with each change the prevalence rate for ADHD has increased (Wolraich & Baumgaertel, 1997). This increase in the prevalence of ADHD has led to a need for clinicians from different disciplines to assess and treat ADHD. As such, several guidelines from professional associations have been published in effort to create some consistency in the assessment and treatment of ADHD. Nevertheless research indicates that there is still substantial variability in diagnosis and treatment strategies within disciplines as these guidelines have proven difficult to implement. This variability suggests that there are likely differences in how the different disciplines, i.e., medicine and psychology, approach diagnosing and treating ADHD. However, no research exists at this time which has looked at this issue. The purpose of this paper therefore is to investigate the history of how ADHD has been conceptualized over the years, as well as the various treatment options.

LLU Discipline

Psychology

Department

Psychology

School

School of Science and Technology

First Advisor

Adam Arechiga

Second Advisor

Kim Freeman

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Degree Level

Psych.D.

Year Degree Awarded

2010

Date (Title Page)

9-2010

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity -- diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity -- therapy; Child; Behavior Therapy; Family Therapy; Central Nervous System Stimulants -- adverse effects; Evidence-Based Medicine; Evaluation Studies

Type

Doctoral Project

Page Count

vii; 55

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

Download

Share

COinS