FMUP wants to improve ADHD screening in adults
A research team from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) is working on a tool that aims to improve the screening of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Portuguese adults, it was announced today.
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"There is currently no validated ADHD scale for the Portuguese population that is in accordance with the current diagnostic criteria and allows its use for screening in a community context. This tool could be particularly useful in the context of primary health care, contributing to improving the provision of care", explains Sofia Baptista, a professor at FMUP, quoted in a press release.
In the text sent to the Lusa agency, the team says it expects the tool to be made available "soon".
This is a project that "should validate the use of a short and easy-to-fill scale (about five minutes) capable of detecting most situations of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the general population", it describes.
The six-item scale of the World Health Organization (WHO) has demonstrated its capacity in other contexts, but it has not yet been validated in Portugal.
Frequently starting in childhood, "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can persist into adulthood, being associated with other mental health problems and work-related difficulties".
"Diagnosing ADHD in adults can be particularly challenging. ADHD is often not diagnosed or treated, although there is effective treatment. Many patients do not receive appropriate treatment and follow-up and, as a consequence, do not reach their full potential", says the professor.
Estimates indicate that about three in every 100 adults have ADHD, which can be characterized by symptoms such as difficulty paying attention, impulsivity or difficulty staying still.
When not diagnosed or treated appropriately, this disorder can therefore have "a significant impact on adult life, in personal, social and professional terms".
The FMUP project was awarded a research support grant from APMGF -- Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine | AICIB -- Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation 2004, in the amount of 3,000 euros, awarded within the scope of the 41st national meeting of APMGF, which was held in April, in the Algarve.
In addition to Sofia Baptista, the authors of this project are Rafaela Silva, a student at FMUP, Andreia Teixeira and Paulo Santos, from FMUP and CINTESIS@RISE, and also Gustavo Jesus, director of the Psychiatry service at Vila Franca de Xira Hospital.
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