ISLAMABAD, Jan 17 (Online): In a new study, scientists are reporting that young people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD tend to utilize healthcare services at a rate that is double that of their peers during the two years leading up to their diagnosis.<\/p>\n
The research, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, reports that children with ADHD have a two-fold higher likelihood of consulting their general practitioner, being hospitalized, and even undergoing surgical procedures, in comparison to children who do not have ADHD.
\nThe researchers said that children and young people with ADHD frequently consult healthcare professionals, yet current guidelines from organizations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the American Academy of Pediatrics lack specific recommendations for earlier ADHD detection.<\/p>\n
Children with ADHD experience delays in diagnosis
\nThe study was led by Vibhore Prasad, a scholar and visiting lecturer at King\u2019s College London and a general practitioner in Nottinghamshire, England.
\nPrasad explained the key findings to Medical News Today, saying that ADHD is \u201ca common problem in young people.\u201d
\nHe noted that professionals expect 3 to 5 percent of young people worldwide to have this health problem.
\n\u201cHowever, in many countries (including the United Kingdom), there are delays in the recognition of ADHD and an under-recognition,\u201d Prasad said.<\/p>\n
The research primarily concentrated on understanding why children visited their general practitioner, received prescriptions, were admitted to the hospital for overnight stays, and underwent surgical procedures.
\nExamining medical records of children and young adults
\nThe study examined the medical records of children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 years from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, which is a primary care database encompassing the records of approximately 15 million individuals across 730 general practitioner practices. It represents about 7 percent of the United Kingdom\u2019s population.<\/p>\n
The researchers said the results are important because it is known that early identification of ADHD can lead to more effective treatments, including therapeutic interventions and medications.
\nThe conclusions drawn were based on data from roughly half of the patients in England, who also had linked hospital medical records.
\nThe researchers said the study underscores the importance of conducting additional research to identify children with ADHD at an earlier stage, thereby enabling them to receive more timely and effective assistance.<\/p>\n
Recognizing ADHD as a diagnosis
\nExperts say there is a need to raise awareness of ADHD in order for professionals to consider it as a potential diagnosis.
\nPrasad explained that \u201cwe know that general practitioners have difficulty in recognizing ADHD as a possible diagnosis.\u201d
\n\u201cTherefore, we used a very large dataset from primary and secondary care medical records (covering 8 percent of the English population) to investigate what happens for young people before diagnosis,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
We found that young people with ADHD attend healthcare services twice as often as controls without ADHD in the two years before diagnosis. They attend for a wide range of reasons (not just for mental health reasons, as we might expect). This means there may be opportunities for earlier recognition for ADHD. We may also have opportunities to pick up young people with ADHD in primary care, hospital care, and around times of operations and procedures.
\nVibhore Prasad
\nDr. Anandhi Narasimhan, a physician specializing in adult, child, and adolescent psychiatry who was not involved in this research, told Medical News Today that the greatest benefits coming out of this research would be \u201cincreased monitoring and allowing for early detection and intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to a shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists, it is important the [primary care physicans] can be knowledgeable about ADHD and learn how to treat it,\u201d Narasimhan explained.
\nA collaborative model between psychiatry and primary care can allow for enhanced mental healthcare and a multidisciplinary approach. Government funding that is directed toward a collaborative model can further allow for earlier intervention for individuals with the diagnosis. Advocating for such collaborative efforts and government funding can benefit patient populations, decrease the economic burden that untreated ADHD has, potentially decrease the associated risks of substance abuse and addiction, accidents, interpersonal relationship collapses, etc.<\/p>\n
Dr. Anandhi Narasimhan
\nOpportunity to identify ADHD earlier in all healthcare settings
\nPrasad also notes that \u201cwe may have opportunities to identify ADHD earlier and in all healthcare settings if we look out for young people with symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention in all healthcare settings.\u201d
\n\u201cWe should also be aware that healthcare professionals from non-specialist backgrounds may be treating young people with ADHD without realizing they need help with their behavior and mental health,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still don\u2019t know a lot of things about why there is a problem with under-recognition of ADHD. The healthcare systems are complex and there is clearly a great deal of demand for services to assess young people with mental and behavioral symptoms,\u201d Prasad said.
\nOne of the answers may be more training for healthcare professionals. Another solution may involve greater services to assess, diagnose and treat young people with ADHD\u2026 However, the current situation is that there are not enough services and they have long waiting times.<\/p>\n
Vibhore Prasad
\nWith that in mind, Prasad concluded by saying \u201cwe need to design better healthcare pathways that can prioritize young people correctly.\u201d
\n\u201cThis is a complex problem that requires more research about which young people need specific sorts of help and which young people can be helped with less specialized help,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Jan 17 (Online): In a new study, scientists are reporting that young people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD tend to utilize healthcare services at a rate that is double that of their peers during the two years leading up to their diagnosis. […]<\/p>\n
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