Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
School
Social Work
Advisor
Martha Markward
Abstract
Women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are often overlooked in clinical mental health settings. If social workers do not screen their female clients for ADHD, then the theory of distributive justice inherent in the National Association of Social Worker’s code of ethics would suggest the women they see in clinical mental health settings are not receiving the services they need and deserve. Yet, little is known concerning how clinical social workers screen adult female clients for ADHD. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how licensed independent clinical social workers in Massachusetts screen for ADHD in the women they see in private practice. The participants were required to have a master’s level social work designation. Data were collected using 6 clinical social work participants who were selected using a purposive sampling procedure. Data were collected using a 5-item semistructured interview schedule. NVivo computer software was used to transcribe, organize, and analyze the data. Thematic analysis using a grounded theory approach was used to identify common themes from the data. The findings indicate that clinical social workers in private practice do not formally screen female clients for ADHD using a reliable and valid screening instrument. The implications of this study for social work practice determined gaps which currently exist that account for discrepancies in the lower number of adult women with an ADHD diagnosis than their male counterparts. Social change will be achieved when more females are properly screened, diagnosed, and treated in larger numbers for ADHD.
Recommended Citation
Walters, Beth A., "Exploring How Clinical Social Workers Screen Women for ADHD" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 9296.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/9296
