ADHD: A psychological response to an evolving concept (report of a working party of the British Psychological Society)

The British Psychological Society is the only national organization of psychologists within the United Kingdom representing all aspects of psychology and all subspecialisms within psychology. It is both a learned scientific society and a professional association. To address the concept of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the Professional Affairs Board of the Society convened a Working Party, consisting of individuals nominated by subsystems of the Society because of their recognized professional and academic expertise. They covered a range of specialisms, including educational, clinical, criminological, neurological, and cognitive psychology. A report by the Working Party was published in September 1996. It had two main aims: first, to outline the research that was relevant to current understanding of the notion of ADHD from an historical, psychological, and biological perspective, and, second, to consider implications for practice in the light of the information obtained. The focus was predominantly on children, although it was recognized that problems could persist into adulthood. The intention was to write a report for professionals that also would be accessible to a wider audience. This article is a highly abridged version of the report. It omits the references to research reviews and research studies contained in the full account. Selected extracts are included in order to justify the conclusions and the recommendations that are made and to inform a North American audience of developments in the United Kingdom.