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Exploring Clinician Uncertainty in the Diagnosis and Treatment of
Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder
Abstract
Based upon analyses of interview data collected from twenty-six clinician
respondents, this study explores two facets of clinician uncertainty related to the
diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
First, this study explores clinician reservations about the diagnostic validity of ADHD as
it is described by the American Psychiatric Association (1994) in DSM IV. Second, this
study explores clinician ambivalence regarding the physical and social-psychological
side-effects of stimulant medications, such as Ritalin. In reviewing a sizable cross-section
of the popular and research-oriented literature demonstrating the very contentious nature
of the ADHD phenomenon, this study illustrates that clinicians do not practice within a
vacuum, but are instead largely affected by the marked skepticism that surrounds ADHD.
In being affected by this skepticism, it is concluded that clinicians who assess and treat
ADHD are autonomous in how they interpret the diagnostic and treatment protocols for
this mental disorder.