Goals and expectations from treatment in ADHD: Preliminary Study

Abstract

Background: ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in attention and hyperactive behaviour. In view of greater emphasis on collaborative decision making in treatment of ADHD it is imperative to study patients and caregivers expectation and preferences regarding treatment of ADHD so as to use this information in management of children suffering from ADHD and improve their socio-emotional adjustment. Objective: To study treatment goals and expectations of children having ADHD and their parents and preferred mode of treatment. Method: Ten children diagnosed with ADHD (6-13 yrs), boys n=8, girls n=2, mean age 8.7 years, attending regular school (from KG to class 8th) who came to Child guidance clinic in psychiatry OPD in GMCH 32 were enrolled in the study. Their parents(mothers n=6 fathers n=4) were interviewed regarding their expectations from the treatment of ADHD and the preferred mode of treatment (pharmacological versus non pharmacological). For this purpose, ADHD Preference and Goal Instrument (Fiks et al, 2012) was administered to parents. Eighteen items were selected from the same instrument to be asked from the child which appeared to have maximum relevance for the children. Result: Acceptability of behavior therapy was found to be slightly higher than medications and among the goal domains academic performance was given higher preference both by the children and the parents. Conclusion: With increased emphasis on shared decision making and treating patients and caregivers as critical stakeholders in management of ADHD, studying their references and concerns can help to overcome barriers in proper management of ADHD. Keywords: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), preference, shared decision making.