Date of Graduation

Fall 2012

Degree

Master of Science in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

David Lutz

Abstract

Some of the diagnostic issues related to children, specifically between Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Pediatric Bipolar Disorder were examined. 3,838 clinicians across the nation were surveyed, and 86 responses were obtained. This is a follow-up from a study conducted in 2003, making it a 9-year longitudinal study. The purpose of this study was to examine any changes in diagnostic accuracy and diagnostic confidence of clinicians over a 9-year span. It was found that clinicians were able to identify Bipolar Disorder in males more often than they were able to in females, and clinicians had no difficulty identifying ADHD in either gender. The female Bipolar Disorder group was given a more moderate Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score compared to the male Bipolar Disorder and the mixed-symptom ADHD groups, suggesting females with Bipolar Disorder were rated as experiencing less impairment. Results show that clinicians have become better at identifying ADHD between genders, but still have difficulty identifying Bipolar Disorder in females.

Keywords

pediatric bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, comorbidity, differential diagnosis, symptom overlap

Subject Categories

Psychology

Copyright

© Michael Loren Rosen

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