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Abstract
This study investigated the level of importance social workers attributed to different factors when presented with a vignette of an adolescent with ADHD. Vignettes were systematically altered to explore the association of race, SES, and family stress with assessment and intervention for ADHD. A random sample of 350 of NASW‐affiliated social workers with child and family specializations was contacted, yielding 140 usable surveys. Sixty five percent of the obtained sample correctly diagnosed ADHD; the other 35% provided a different diagnosis (or no diagnosis). Specific DSM‐IV descriptive criteria for ADHD were most often included for assessment and to guide treatment. Only those social workers who did not diagnose ADHD emphasized the importance of broader biopsy‐chosocial concerns. Group differences were notable in relation to family stress: the group not diagnosing ADHD attended strongly to this factor. Findings indicated that the biopsychosocial perspective was not always manifest in relation to either the assessment of or intervention for ADHD.