New Guidelines for ADHD

New Guidelines Aim to Rectify Diagnosis and Treatment Hurdles for Adult ADHD Sufferers

*From SBS Insight

Adult Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is estimated to be under-diagnosed and under-treated. It affects around 815,000 people in Australia – 2.5 per cent of adults globally.

Until recently, scientists thought that children outgrew ADHD during adolescence, due to developmental changes in their brain.

Scientists now they believe that seven out of 10 children with ADHD will mature into adults with ADHD.

A person with ADHD has difficulty paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviours and keeping their thoughts on track.

New guidelines developed by the Australian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA), led by Professor Mark Bellgrove, are hoping to remedy the issue.

“ADHD in adulthood is still poorly recognised, poorly detected and almost certainly under-treated in adults in Australia,” Professor Bellgrove told Insight.

“Adult ADHD almost without exception, is treated in the private health system rather than the public one – which is unusual for this kind of neurodevelopmental condition.

“They [patients] have to pay privately for treatment, and if they can’t afford that, they’re just not going to get care.”

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