We aimed to assess the degree to which the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) clinical guidelines were followed when treating attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschoolers.
Method:
Using Medicaid claims for children 4 to 5 years of age receiving their first dose of stimulants/alpha-2 agonists in 2017 (n = 836), we determined if BH was received prior to initiation of medication. We examined predictors after controlling for confounders.
Results:
More than half the sample did not receive first-line BH, which did not differ by demographics. Those receiving BH prior to medication had a higher rate of receiving an ADHD diagnosis. Only three diagnoses were significant in multivariate (OR 13.8, 95% CI [1.7–115.1]) analyses.
Conclusion:
More than half the sample did not, conservatively, meet the AAP clinical recommendations. Further research is needed to identify targets for intervention. Limitations are noted.
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