The Psychiatric department in your hospital is conducting a screening program in primary schools to identify children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. What level of preventive measures are employed here?

1. A

   Primary prevention

2. B

   Secondary prevention

3. C

   Tertiary prevention

4. D

   Primordial prevention

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2019

Explanation

• Secondary prevention aims at early detection and prompt treatment of diseases to slow their progression and prevent complications.
• Screening programs, such as the one for ADHD described in the question, are a hallmark of secondary prevention.
• The goal is to identify cases at an early, asymptomatic, or minimally symptomatic stage when intervention can be most effective.
• By screening children in schools, the psychiatric department is attempting to catch ADHD early, before it causes significant academic or social impairment.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: Primary prevention focuses on preventing the disease from occurring in the first place, not on detecting it after it may have developed.
• Option C: Tertiary prevention is for individuals who have an established, diagnosed disease. It focuses on rehabilitation and limiting disability.
• Option D: Primordial prevention is aimed at preventing the development of risk factors in the first place, often at a broad population or societal level.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Knowing Levels of Prevention in Community Health helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
• Nurses, especially in community and school health settings, are central to implementing secondary prevention measures like screening programs.
• Early identification of developmental and behavioral disorders like ADHD is critical. It allows for timely access to resources, improving long-term outcomes for children and reducing family stress.
• What if the program was not a screening, but a school-wide campaign to teach all students coping and organizational skills? In that case, it would be considered Primary Prevention, as it aims to prevent the negative consequences of inattention and hyperactivity before a diagnosis is even considered.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify the key action in the question stem: "conducting a screening program."
• Recall the definitions of the different levels of prevention.
• Associate the term "screening" directly with "Secondary Prevention." Screening is the quintessential example of this level.
• Differentiate this from other levels: Primary prevention acts before the disease starts (e.g., vaccination), and Tertiary prevention acts after the disease is diagnosed to manage its effects (e.g., rehabilitation).
• Conclude that since the program is for early identification through screening, it is secondary prevention.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Levels of Prevention in Community Health
• Stem keywords: Screening program, primary schools, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), preventive measures
• Lead-in keywords: What level

Question ID

QPFhcj2U3Ac3I6I_x5ZofZ

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Psychology Baron Misra 5e Part 2 p. 226-228

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 2730-2732