Dr. David W. Goodman interviewed by NPR April 4, 2017

Adult ADHD screener World Health Organization National Public Radio

Dr. David W. Goodman interviewed by NPR April 4, 2017

National Public Radio  interviewed me this week to comment on a research publication about a revised adult ADHD screener developed in coordination with the World Health Organization. What the journalist didn’t know at the time, that I will share with you, is that I was a pre-publication peer reviewer on this study. That means I was very knowledgeable about the details of the study and had offered my critique prior to publication.

As background, my colleagues just published a research paper revising the adult ADHD screener developed in coordination with the World Health Organization. Because of the diagnostic changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5, the previous adult ADHD screener needed to be revised accordingly.  While the six question screener looks rather basic, the article details the rigorous methodology and statistical factors that contributed to the selection of each of the six ADHD questions.

It should be enphatically stated that the screener simply allows clinicians to identify adults who may have ADHD, but it in no way makes a diagnosis. Because primary care clinicians are increasingly requested to provide mental health diagnoses and treatment. Because their time spent with patients is limited, the screener simply highlights someone who has some symptoms.  This encourages a further evaluation by someone with adult ADHD expertise.

Given that ADHD is a world wide disorder, the World Health Organization has been very interested in developing a preliminary screener to be performed in the offices of clinicians around the world. The previous screener has been translated into many languages to be used internationally.

To those who follow my blog, I apologize for the delinquency in posting any recent material.  My time has been consumed taking care of patients, developing slide decks to educate clinicians, serving on the national boards of directors for APSARD ( American Professional Society for ADHD and Related Disorders Association) and CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD Association),  and working with journalists in order to present the latest science of ADHD.

Thank you to those who continue to read my blogs.