A systematic study of ADHD assessments in child and adolescent psychiatry

Project description

Adequate treatment of ADHD requires a correct diagnosis. The assessment process for neurodevelopmental conditions is often more extensive than for other psychiatric disorders, and is often associated with long waiting lists, thus consuming a large proportion of psychiatric resources. The overarching aim of the present study is to gain knowledge about diagnostic processes to enable valid, reliable, and cost-effective ADHD assessments, and to increase the understanding of mechanisms underpinning ADHD that can aid the diagnostic process. To this end, we will compare a brief and a comprehensive ADHD assessment protocol.

Participants in the study are children aged 8 to 16 years who have been referred to child and adolescent psychiatric care for assessment. Participants will be randomized to either the brief or the comprehensive ADHD assessment protocol. We also aim to investigate whether biomarkers in the form of heart rate variability and pupil dilation can serve as diagnostic biomarkers for ADHD.