Undiagnosed ADHD In Children Leads To Unnecessary Healthcare Use
Children and young people with undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the UK are utilizing a significantly higher amount of healthcare services, leading to avoidable medical interventions, according to a study by Dr. Vibhore Prasad and a team of researchers from the University of Nottingham and King's College London. Funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences, this research spotlights the urgent need for earlier detection and enhanced support for these vulnerable individuals.
Dr. Prasad, now an NIHR East Midlands Scholar and practising General Practitioner (GP) in Nottinghamshire, initiated this study due to his previous findings indicating that ADHD diagnoses are frequently missed or delayed in the United Kingdom. The research delved into the medical records of children and young people aged between four and 17 years old, drawn from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. This primary care database, containing records from approximately 15 million individuals across 730 GP practices, represents seven per cent of the UK's population. The findings were derived from around half of the patients from England who also had linked hospital medical records.
The study focused on understanding the reasons why children visit their GPs, receive prescriptions, undergo overnight hospital admissions, and require hospital-based operations. Shockingly, the research revealed that children with ADHD consume twice as many healthcare services in the two years before their diagnosis compared to their peers without ADHD.
Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke, senior author of the study, and Dr. Johnny Downs, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist emphasized the profound challenges faced by young people in the lead-up to an ADHD diagnosis. They underscored that while the study doesn't definitively establish that earlier access to ADHD assessment and treatment would eliminate all these difficulties, it highlights that young people suspected of having ADHD constitute a vulnerable group. As such, they may benefit from coordinated multi-disciplinary care that offers holistic support while they await specialist mental health services.
Michele Reilly, Lead of Lambeth ADHD Support Group, lauded Dr. Vibhore Prasad's dedication to capturing the voices of parents and caregivers. Her view is that the research provides valuable insights into how families navigate the healthcare system while engaging with their GPs before an ADHD diagnosis. Identifying patterns of GP interactions for families with children having ADHD offers crucial insights for both families and professionals alike.
Despite children and young people with ADHD often seeking healthcare professionals' assistance, existing guidance from institutions like the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the American Academy of Pediatrics lacks clear instructions on early detection. Many parents and caregivers report needing to have prior knowledge of ADHD for professionals to consider it as a diagnosis.
The research team firmly believes that their study underlines the pressing need to develop and test interventions aimed at identifying ADHD at an earlier stage within primary care. Moreover, they call for an immediate reassessment of how health services cater to young individuals living with undiagnosed ADHD.
Dr. Tony Lloyd, CEO of the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity, hailed the research as groundbreaking and emphasized that undiagnosed, untreated ADHD results in double the number of healthcare appointments and procedures for children, contributing to unnecessary health problems and accidents. This revelation should serve as a wake-up call to the Department of Health, the NHS, and local NHS Commissioners, highlighting the significance of acknowledging and addressing ADHD's profound impact on affected children and their families.
