Conference Paper: Adult adhd patients’ experiences of impairment, accessing services and treatment management: a qualitative study in England
| Title | Adult adhd patients’ experiences of impairment, accessing services and treatment management: a qualitative study in England |
|---|---|
| Authors | Matheson, L Asherson, P Wong, I Hodgkins, P Setyawan, J Susane, R Clifford, S |
| Keywords | Medical sciences Psychiatry and neurology |
| Issue Date | 2012 |
| Publisher | Elsevier France, Editions Scientifiques et Medicales. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eurpsy |
| Citation | The 20th European Congress of Psychiatry (EPA 2012), Prague, Czech Republic, 3-6 March 2012. In European Psychiatry, 2012, v. 27 suppl. 1, abstract no. P-876 [How to Cite?] |
| Abstract | INTRODUCTION: There is limited understanding of the health and treatment-related experiences of adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in England. AIMS: To explore the experiences of adults with ADHD regarding impairment, accessing diagnostic and treatment services, and to compare experiences between patients diagnosed during adulthood and childhood. METHODS: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 30 adults with ADHD, recruited across England. Half of the participants were diagnosed during childhood and the remainder during adulthood. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis and data saturation was achieved. RESULTS: Getting a diagnosis and accessing ADHD services in adulthood was an 'uphill struggle', often due to negative and sceptical attitudes towards ADHD by healthcare professionals. Many patients struggled for years with misdiagnoses of depression and anxiety, and severe difficulties accessing care and treatment caused a downward spiral into functional impairment in some. Accumulated psychosocial burden was evident as living with undiagnosed ADHD had resulted in a chronic sense of failure and missed potential in many diagnosed from late adolescence onwards. Positive adjustment was facilitated by a younger age at diagnosis. Although medication was perceived as necessary in alleviating impairment, many deemed pharmacological treatment by itself as inadequate. Additional support, especially psychological therapies/psycho-education was strongly desired, yet few patients had access to non-pharmacological treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the unmet needs of adults with ADHD are substantial, particularly in those diagnosed from late adolescence onwards. The findings suggest there is a wide gap between policy and practice in England. |
| Description | This journal supplement contain abstracts of the 20th European Congress of Psychiatry Theme: Beyond Diversity, Towards Harmony |
| ISSN | 0924-9338 2011 Impact Factor: 2.766 2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.108 |
| dc.contributor.author | Matheson, L |
|---|---|
| dc.contributor.author | Asherson, P |
| dc.contributor.author | Wong, I |
| dc.contributor.author | Hodgkins, P |
| dc.contributor.author | Setyawan, J |
| dc.contributor.author | Susane, R |
| dc.contributor.author | Clifford, S |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2012-09-20T08:21:13Z |
| dc.date.available | 2012-09-20T08:21:13Z |
| dc.date.issued | 2012 |
| dc.description.abstract | INTRODUCTION: There is limited understanding of the health and treatment-related experiences of adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in England. AIMS: To explore the experiences of adults with ADHD regarding impairment, accessing diagnostic and treatment services, and to compare experiences between patients diagnosed during adulthood and childhood. METHODS: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 30 adults with ADHD, recruited across England. Half of the participants were diagnosed during childhood and the remainder during adulthood. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis and data saturation was achieved. RESULTS: Getting a diagnosis and accessing ADHD services in adulthood was an 'uphill struggle', often due to negative and sceptical attitudes towards ADHD by healthcare professionals. Many patients struggled for years with misdiagnoses of depression and anxiety, and severe difficulties accessing care and treatment caused a downward spiral into functional impairment in some. Accumulated psychosocial burden was evident as living with undiagnosed ADHD had resulted in a chronic sense of failure and missed potential in many diagnosed from late adolescence onwards. Positive adjustment was facilitated by a younger age at diagnosis. Although medication was perceived as necessary in alleviating impairment, many deemed pharmacological treatment by itself as inadequate. Additional support, especially psychological therapies/psycho-education was strongly desired, yet few patients had access to non-pharmacological treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the unmet needs of adults with ADHD are substantial, particularly in those diagnosed from late adolescence onwards. The findings suggest there is a wide gap between policy and practice in England. |
| dc.description.nature | postprint |
| dc.description | This journal supplement contain abstracts of the 20th European Congress of Psychiatry |
| dc.description | Theme: Beyond Diversity, Towards Harmony |
| dc.description.other | The 20th European Congress of Psychiatry (EPA 2012), Prague, Czech Republic, 3-6 March 2012. In European Psychiatry, 2012, v. 27 suppl. 1, abstract no. P-876 |
| dc.identifier.citation | The 20th European Congress of Psychiatry (EPA 2012), Prague, Czech Republic, 3-6 March 2012. In European Psychiatry, 2012, v. 27 suppl. 1, abstract no. P-876 [How to Cite?] |
| dc.identifier.hkuros | 207491 |
| dc.identifier.issn | 0924-9338 2011 Impact Factor: 2.766 2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.108 |
| dc.identifier.issue | suppl. 1 |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/165610 |
| dc.identifier.volume | 27 |
| dc.language | eng |
| dc.publisher | Elsevier France, Editions Scientifiques et Medicales. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eurpsy |
| dc.publisher.place | France |
| dc.relation.ispartof | European Psychiatry |
| dc.rights | NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in European Psychiatry. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in European Psychiatry, v.27, suppl. 1, 2012. |
| dc.rights | Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License |
| dc.subject | Medical sciences |
| dc.subject | Psychiatry and neurology |
| dc.title | Adult adhd patients’ experiences of impairment, accessing services and treatment management: a qualitative study in England |
| dc.type | Conference_Paper |