Editorial: Can We Accurately Screen for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder? Moving to a Dimensional, Multistep...

Mental health concerns are a major source of health-related burden worldwide, including shortened life spans as a result of accidental injury, suicide, and secondary health complications.¹ Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is emblematic in that it can be a serious concern in and of itself as well as an early-emerging risk factor for a variety of other serious physical and mental health outcomes.² While there remains a need for more effective treatment, especially for core ADHD symptoms,³ many of the long-term negative outcomes associated with ADHD can be at least partially mitigated with early intervention.^4,5 Thus, cost-effective, accurate screening is a critical need for the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. The systematic review and meta-analysis of available ADHD screening tools by Mulraney et al.⁶ reflects an enormous effort to summarize the overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of available screening measures. The results highlight both what we can and, critically, what we cannot yet achieve with current tools and suggest paths forward.