Adhd Comorbidities

The diagnosis and management of ADHD co-occurring with other disorders such as anxiety, depression and personality disorders remain major challenges for clinicians treating all age groups. This book guides clinicians through each step in the diagnosis and management of the comorbidities of adult ADHD on the basis of essential case studies describing psychiatric disorders that frequently occur with ADHD. Each case includes a diagnosis section and management section and is accompanied by questions and answers concerning the most important aspects in diagnosing and managing both ADHD and the comorbid disorders. Drawn from actual clinical encounters, the case studies also feature ample current and valid references.

The diagnosis and management of ADHD co-occurring with other disorders such as anxiety, depression, tics and substance use remain major challenges for clinicians treating all age groups. This book guides clinicians trough each step in the diagnosis and management of the comorbidity through essential case studies describing psychiatric disorders that frequently occur with child ADHD are well described in every case. Each case includes a diagnosis section and management section and is accompanied by questions and answers concerning the most important aspects in diagnosing and managing of both ADHD and the comorbid disorders. Drawn from actual clinical encounters, the case studies also feature ample current and valid references.

The only book that covers the multiple ways in which ADHD is complicated by other psychiatric and learning disorders in both children and adults, ADHD Comorbidities: Handbook for ADHD Complications in Children and Adults features comprehensive, research-based information on ADHD and its full range of coexisting syndromes. Contributing researcher-clinicians, familiar with the complications that additional disorders pose, summarize in accessible language what is currently known about ADHD and its comorbidities, from preschool age to adulthood. These authors describe how ADHD leads to different profiles at different stages of development and how to adjust treatment strategies for both ADHD and additional disorders to reduce the impairments resulting from their combination. The book offers a new paradigm for understanding ADHD, viewing it not as a simple behavior disorder but as a complex developmental impairment of executive functions in the brain. This important handbook gives developmental context to ADHD by describing how symptoms at preschool onset differ from those of older age at onset. Clinicians will find practical help for patients whose ADHD appears in conjunction with 11 other syndromes -- from mood disorders to developmental coordination disorder -- and acquire valuable guidance on adapting and adjusting medications and other interventions to optimize treatment effects for the wide diversity of complex cases that embody ADHD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. Previously, it was considered a disorder that affected children only. Recently, however, there is no doubt that ADHD can affect adults as well, but with different clinical presentation. Thus, it is critical to understand how the clinical picture of the disorder changes with development. Traditional ADHD diagnostic procedures are broadening and incorporating new entities like endophenotypes. Comorbidity is a rule, especially if ADHD is not recognized and treated early. New genetic studies bring deeper and more concise knowledge about the disorder’s etiology. This book addresses these aspects of ADHD to bring about more clarity and understanding of the disorder.

This book highlights the importance of investigating for ADHD in adults with attention difficulties, poor memory and executive function impairments. The authors advocate a neurodevelopmental assessment approach in all phases of life, and explain how to perform such assessments. The identification of ADHD in adults with other psychiatric and neurological disorders will lead to a better response to treatments, and as a result reduce its social, economic and personal burden. ADHD can no longer be considered solely a pediatric condition, as it occurs in a significant proportion of adults worldwide. However, ADHD in adults is often unrecognized and untreated. Diagnosing the disorder in adulthood is a challenge, due not only to the different clinical presentation in this phase of life, but also to the fact that other conditions may mask the symptoms. ADHD constitutes a hidden comorbidity with a detrimental impact of those affected, and a poor response (or even non-response) to several treatments. Intended for psychiatrists, neurologists, specialists in gerontology and neuropsychology, this book is an indispensable resource for all mental health practitioners who want to optimize the treatment of patients affected by psychiatric and neurological disorders who respond poorly to standard treatments.

The incidence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with an estimated 5% of the population affected, is on the rise. Of those 5%, more than half must also cope with one or more comorbid disorders of learning, emotion, and behavior—complicating ADHD diagnosis and treatment. The challenge for clinicians is to treat not just ADHD, but also the psychiatric disorders and comorbid disorders that often accompany it. Edited by a leading researcher and practitioner, Attention-Deficit Disorders and Comorbidities in Children, Adolescents, and Adultsbrings together the work of 25 distinguished contributors—all on the cutting edge of ADHD research. The past decade of research and clinical experience has shown that ADHD is far from the simple disorder, starting in childhood and remitting in adulthood, it was once thought to be. Divided into two main sections, this volume includes a chapter on each of the psychiatric disorders and comorbidities that often occur with ADHD. • In the first section, "ADDs With Comorbidities," the editor introduces readers to ADHD by talking about our emerging understanding of and the latest genetic research on ADHD. The author of each subsequent chapter shows how ADHD interacts with mood and anxiety disorders, oppositionality and aggression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, learning disorders, substance abuse disorders, sleep disturbances, Tourette syndrome, and developmental coordination disorder. This section concludes with two final chapters: one on assessing and treating ADDs in preschoolers and the other on different treatment outcomes as reported in existing longitudinal studies of ADDs. • The second section, "Assessments and Interventions for ADDs", includes in-depth chapters on clinical assessment and diagnosis, pharmacotherapy, psychosocial and educational interventions, and a cognitive therapy perspective on ADHD. This section wraps up by emphasizing the importance of tailoring treatment to the individual as a whole, considering not only comorbidities but also family and social settings. Heavily annotated and written with practical implications for both clinicians and educators in mind, this comprehensive volume demonstrates a scope and depth unparalleled within the current literature. As such, it will find its way into the libraries of professionals and interested laypersons alike: clinical psychiatrists and psychologists; pediatricians, family practitioners and other primary care physicians who treat children, adolescents, and adults; education professionals, including school nurses, special education teachers and administrators, and college and university disability services personnel; and juvenile justice system professionals, including clinical and social workers and administrators.

Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently experience co-occurring problems with aggression, mood swings, tics, anxiety, or depression. Organized around detailed case presentations, this highly informative book helps the clinician make sound decisions when assessing and treating the full range of ADHD comorbidities. Experienced child psychiatrist Steven Pliszka offers straightforward guidance on how to avoid common diagnostic errors, develop an individualized medication regimen, minimize health risks and side effects, collaborate successfully with parents, and tailor psychosocial treatments to each family's needs. A reproducible structured interview facilitates sorting out symptoms and distinguishing between different comorbid disorders.

Treating a child or adolescent with ADHD is especially challenging when hyperactivity and inattention are accompanied by many other symptoms. It is not uncommon to encounter such complex ADHD cases as the child who also presents with aggression or antisocial behavior, the teen who has made a suicide attempt, or the hyperactive child with mental retardation. Integrating the latest biomedical and psychosocial knowledge, this practice-oriented volume is designed to help clinicians meet the needs of these tough-to-treat clients. The authors review the evaluation and treatment of ADHD with major comorbidities including mood and anxiety disorders, conduct disorders, learning disorders, medical illnesses, and severe developmental disorders. Distinguishing clinical features of each condition are delineated, current psychopharmacological treatments are described, and effective approaches are presented for managing behavioral problems in the home, school, and playground. Filled with illustrative case examples that reflect the authors' extensive clinical experience, the book provides thoughtful coverage of knotty diagnostic and treatment issues.