Alotaibi Mansour M, Alrashdi Naif Z, Alanazi Sultan A, Almutairi Marzouq K, Alzubaidi Bakriah Y, Alkhalidi Maraheb M, Alateeq Deemah, Alqahtani Mohammed M
Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Northern Border University, Arar 73213, Saudi Arabia.
King Salman Center for Disability Research, Riyadh 11614, Saudi Arabia.
J Clin Med. 2025 Apr 22;14(9):2874. doi: 10.3390/jcm14092874.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in Saudi Arabia, yet challenges remain in diagnosis and treatment accessibility. This study examined healthcare practitioners' clinical approaches to ADHD diagnosis and management in Saudi Arabia and identified gaps in practice. This cross-sectional study included healthcare practitioners working in various healthcare settings across Saudi Arabia. The sample included psychiatrists, pediatricians, psychologists, and other relevant specialists. Clinical practices regarding ADHD diagnosis, the use of ADHD screening tools, adherence to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria, treatment strategies, medication prescription protocols, and reported challenges were investigated. A total of 43 licensed healthcare practitioners with a minimum of 2 years of clinical experience managing ADHD participated. Among participants, 81.4% were psychiatrists, and 53.5% managed ADHD cases in children/adolescents exclusively. Approximately 86.0% of the sample used screening tools, with the Vanderbilt Assessment Scale being the most used (67.6%). However, only 55.8% addressed all 18 DSM-5 ADHD symptoms during the evaluation. Combined pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment approaches (74.4%) were preferred. Interestingly, only 7.0% prescribed amphetamine-based stimulants due to the lack of clear guidelines. Key barriers included a lack of early screening programs (65.1%), limited ADHD medication option availability (51.2%), and extended referral waiting lists (44.2%). Significant variability in ADHD diagnosis and treatment practices was evident among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, a large proportion of healthcare providers do not fully comply with the standard DSM-5 diagnosis criteria. Major barriers to ADHD diagnosis and treatment in Saudi Arabia include extended referral waiting lists, limited availability of psychostimulant medications, and standardized clinical guidelines. A national ADHD protocol must be advocated, and access to diverse treatment options should be improved.
注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）在沙特阿拉伯是一种常见的神经发育障碍，但在诊断和治疗可及性方面仍存在挑战。本研究调查了沙特阿拉伯医疗从业者对ADHD诊断和管理的临床方法，并确定了实践中的差距。这项横断面研究纳入了在沙特阿拉伯各地不同医疗环境中工作的医疗从业者。样本包括精神科医生、儿科医生、心理学家和其他相关专家。研究调查了关于ADHD诊断的临床实践、ADHD筛查工具的使用、对《精神障碍诊断与统计手册》（DSM-5）标准的遵循情况、治疗策略、药物处方方案以及报告的挑战。共有43名具有至少2年ADHD管理临床经验的持牌医疗从业者参与。在参与者中，81.4%是精神科医生，53.5%仅管理儿童/青少年的ADHD病例。大约86.0%的样本使用了筛查工具，其中范德比尔特评估量表使用最为广泛（67.6%）。然而，在评估过程中，只有55.8%的人考虑了所有18项DSM-5 ADHD症状。联合药物和非药物治疗方法（74.4%）更受青睐。有趣的是，由于缺乏明确的指南，只有7.0%的人开具基于苯丙胺的兴奋剂。主要障碍包括缺乏早期筛查项目（65.1%）、ADHD药物选择有限（51.2%）以及转诊等待名单过长（44.2%）。沙特阿拉伯的医疗服务提供者在ADHD诊断和治疗实践中存在明显差异。具体而言，很大一部分医疗服务提供者并未完全遵循标准的DSM-5诊断标准。沙特阿拉伯ADHD诊断和治疗的主要障碍包括转诊等待名单过长、精神刺激药物供应有限以及标准化临床指南。必须倡导制定国家ADHD诊疗方案，并改善获得多种治疗选择的机会。
