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Survey on ADHD shows profound impact on families

On average, there is a four-year lag between the time when parents suspect their child may have a problem and the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a new survey has revealed.

'A Survey of ADHD in Irish Children', published today by two ADHD advocacy groups and paid for by Eli Lilly, looked at the way parents manage children with ADHD, how children are diagnosed and treated and the effects of ADHD on daily life. It showed that ADHD has a profound impact on the relationship between parents and children and revealed a highly uneven care-plan for children who have the condition.

Prof Michael Fitzgerald, Henry Marsh Professor of Child Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin and chairman of ADHD ACTION, one of the groups collaborating on the study, told Irish Medical Times that too often, ADHD is not treated with the urgency it demands. He also acknowledged that stories of overmedication for the condition in parts of the US can effect the perception of it here.

The survey found that:

On average, there is a four-year lag time between a parent’s first concerns to diagnosis.

Access to private specialist care was achieved in fewer than four weeks for approximately 55 per cent of those seeking it.

Four-week access to public specialist care was only achieved in only 13 per cent of cases, with 26 per cent waiting one year or more.

According to Prof Fitzgerald, there is no consistent approach, either before or after diagnosis.

The survey shows that while 53 per cent of parents seek a diagnosis from their GP first, and 100 per cent of children were referred on for diagnosis, the referral route varied greatly from that point on.

Forty-five per cent of children were referred to a psychiatrist, 52 per cent were referred to a psychologist and 30 per cent were referred to a paediatrician. Some children were seen by more than one health professional, the survey clearly indicates. The survey also shows that half of parents needed more than one visit to a healthcare professional in secondary care, with the average being five visits, before their child was diagnosed.

About five per cent of the population has the condition, and children who are not treated face problems later that can be associated with a lack of social integration and poor performance in school and work. Prof Fitzgerald linked lack of treatment to criminal activity and drug abuse. He said that 60 per cent to 70 per cent of children with ADHD will be adversely affected by the condition in adulthood, and referred to the lack of adult ADHD services as a ‘tragedy’.

However, medication for the condition has made believers out of parents. The survey showed that 73 per cent of parents said medication offers control of symptoms throughout the day; 38 per cent of parents agree medication always calms their child; and 47 per cent say it often helps the child to pay attention.

Additionally, 35 per cent say medication always helps the child to be better at school, while 43 per cent maintain it often helps the child do better with the family.

Posted in Health Management on 22 September 2008
Tags: mental health