A research team from CINTESIS/Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) is working on a tool that aims to improve screening for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Portuguese adults.
“There is currently no validated ADHD scale for the Portuguese population that complies with the current diagnostic criteria and allows it to be used for screening in a community context. This tool, which we hope to make available soon, could be particularly useful in the context of primary health care, helping to improve the provision of care,” explains Sofia Baptista, a researcher at CINTESIS@RISE and a professor at FMUP.
The project should validate the use of a short, easy-to-fill-in scale (about five minutes) capable of detecting most situations of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the general population. This six-item scale from the World Health Organization (WHO) has already proven its ability in other contexts, but has not yet been validated in our country.
Often beginning in childhood, “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can persist into adulthood and is associated with other mental health problems and work difficulties”.
“The diagnosis of ADHD in adults can be particularly challenging. ADHD often goes undiagnosed and untreated, although effective treatment is available. Many patients do not receive adequate treatment and follow-up and, as a result, do not reach their full potential,” he adds.
Estimates indicate that around 3 out of every 100 adults have ADHD, which can be characterized by symptoms such as difficulty paying attention, impulsivity or difficulty sitting still.
When not diagnosed or treated properly, this disorder can therefore have “a significant impact on adult life, in personal, social and professional terms”.
Based on the multidisciplinary nature of the researchers, who come from General Practice, Psychiatry and Statistics, this work will be “another contribution to Portuguese clinical research, particularly research into primary health care and General Practice,” says Sofia Baptista.
The FMUP project has already been awarded an APMGF – Associação Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar | AICIB – Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica 2004 Research Support Grant, worth 3,000 euros, which was awarded at the 41st APMGF National Meeting, held in April in the Algarve.
In addition to Sofia Baptista, the authors of this project are Rafaela Silva, Andreia Teixeira and Paulo Santos, from CINTESIS@RISE/FMUP, as well as Gustavo Jesus, director of the Psychiatry service at Vila Franca de Xira Hospital.