Patient, supporter and primary healthcare professional perspectives on health risks in over 16s with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in England: a national survey study.

BACKGROUND: Current research suggests that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at higher risk of physical and mental health disorders. This study aimed to explore these health risks in ADHD from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders. METHODS: This study forms part of the 'Managing young people with ADHD in Primary care (MAP) study'. A survey developed by the study team was distributed to over 16 year olds with ADHD, their supporters, primary healthcare professionals and health commissioners across England, via social media and through patient/clinical networks (September-October 2022). This survey contained two questions on health risks. Question one asked about views on health risks in ADHD (free text). Question two asked about advice given (options list and free text). Descriptive statistics summarised responses to questions one and two, and qualitative analysis (reflexive thematic analysis) was used to explore free text responses from question one. RESULTS: 782 participants responded to the MAP survey. Of these, 206 healthcare professionals, 157 people with ADHD and 88 supporters answered question one. The most mentioned perceived risks were substance misuse, sleep disorders, weight management and smoking. More people with ADHD reported disordered eating as a health risk (n = 32) than healthcare professionals (n = 5). Generated themes included perceived health risks, impact of living with ADHD, lack of adequate healthcare, and need for ADHD awareness. In respect to advice given (question two), based on responses from 258 professionals, 162 people with ADHD and 100 supporters, the most common advice discussed in consultation was mental health (n = 149, n = 50 and n = 17 respectively). High numbers of respondents reported not giving/receiving advice on wider health (n = 38, n = 88 and n = 61 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate that respondents perceived a range of physical and mental health risks posed by ADHD. These related to difficulties with activities of daily living, as well as healthcare interactions and the impact of core features of ADHD (e.g. impulsivity, emotional dysregulation). These risks are not currently explicitly addressed in United Kingdom national guidance on ADHD. More work is needed to examine and address the broader health outcomes of people with ADHD.

Children and young people's reported contact with professional services for mental health concerns: a secondary data analysis.

Children and young people's mental health services have been under increasing pressure following COVID-19. Understanding, for which channels help is sought from, will highlight services needing support. This study aims to explore the professional services that parents of children, and young people get help from when they have a concern for the child's/their mental health. Secondary analysis of data is taken from Mental Health of Children and Young People in England Survey, 2017. 7608 reports of mental health-related contact with professional services from parents of 5-16 year-olds and self-reports from young people aged 17-19 were available. Service contact was reported by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) diagnosis, age, gender and ethnicity. Less than two-thirds of children and young people with a DSM-V diagnosis (63.5% (95% CI 58.6-68.1) aged 5-10, and 64.0% (95% CI 59.4-68.4) aged 11-16) reported contact with any professional services. The figure was lower for those aged 17-19; 50.1% (95% CI 42.8-58.2), p = 0.005. Children and young people aged 5-16 from Black (11.7%; 95% CI 2.4-41.4), Asian (55.1%; 95% CI 34.7-73.9) and Mixed (46.0%; 95% CI 32.4-60.3) ethnic groups reported less contact with professional services compared to those from the White group (66.9%; 95% CI 63.5-70.2). Patterns of service access during the three main educational stages aid with understanding service need during childhood. These lower levels of reported service access for young people aged 17-19 with a DSM-V diagnosis and those in ethnic minority groups demand further investigation.

Annual Research Review: The impact of Covid-19 on psychopathology in children and young people worldwide: systematic review of studies with pre- and within-pandemic data.

BACKGROUND: The high volume and pace of research has posed challenges to researchers, policymakers and practitioners wanting to understand the overall impact of the pandemic on children and young people's mental health. We aimed to search for and review the evidence from epidemiological studies to answer the question: how has mental health changed in the general population of children and young people? METHODS: Four databases (Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsychINFO) were searched in October 2021, with searches updated in February 2022. We aimed to identify studies of children or adolescents with a mean age of 18 years or younger at baseline, that reported change on a validated mental health measure from prepandemic to during the pandemic. Abstracts and full texts were double-screened against inclusion criteria and quality assessed using a risk of bias tool. Studies were narratively synthesised, and meta-analyses were performed where studies were sufficiently similar. RESULTS: 6917 records were identified, and 51 studies included in the review. Only four studies had a rating of high quality. Studies were highly diverse in terms of design, setting, timing in relation to the pandemic, population, length of follow-up and choice of measure. Methodological heterogeneity limited the potential to conduct meta-analyses across studies. Whilst the evidence suggested a slight deterioration on some measures, overall, the findings were mixed, with no clear pattern emerging. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the need for a more harmonised approach to research in this field. Despite the sometimes-inconsistent results of our included studies, the evidence supports existing concerns about the impact of Covid-19 on children's mental health and on services for this group, given that even small changes can have a significant impact on provision at population level. Children and young people must be prioritised in pandemic recovery, and explicitly considered in planning for any future pandemic response.

Annual Research Review: A systematic review of mental health services for emerging adults - moulding a precipice into a smooth passage.

BACKGROUND: The transition between child and adult services should aim to support young people into the next stage of their life in a way that optimises their function. Yet financial, organisational and procedural barriers to continuity of care often hamper smooth transition between child and adult services. AIM AND METHOD: We reviewed studies of transition from child to adult mental health services, focusing on: (a) rates of referrals and referral acceptance; (b) barriers and facilitators of successful transition; (c) continuity of care during and post-transition and (d) service users' experience of transition. Studies were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases: PsycINFO, Medline, Embase and Child Development and Adolescent Studies. FINDINGS: Forty-seven papers describing 43 unique studies met inclusion criteria. Service provision is influenced by previous history and funding processes, and the presence or absence of strong primary care, specialist centres of excellence and coordination between specialist and primary care. Provision varies between and within countries, particularly whether services are restricted to 'core' mental health or broader needs. Unsupportive organisational culture, fragmentation of resources, skills and knowledge base undermine the collaborative working essential to optimise transition. Stigma and young people's concerns about peers' evaluation often prompt disengagement and discontinuation of care during transition, leading to worsening of symptoms and later, to service re-entry. Qualitative studies reveal that young people and families find the transition process frustrating and difficult, mainly because of lack of advanced planning and inadequate preparation. CONCLUSIONS: Despite increasing research interest over the last decade, transition remains 'poorly planned, executed and experienced'. Closer collaboration between child and adult services is needed to improve the quality of provision for this vulnerable group at this sensitive period of development.

Time trends in autism diagnosis over 20 years: a UK population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder is a diagnosis that is increasingly applied; however, previous studies have conflicting findings whether rates of diagnosis rates continue to grow in the UK. This study tested whether the proportion of people receiving a new autism diagnosis has been increasing over a twenty-year period, both overall and by subgroups. METHOD: Population-based study utilizing the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) primary care database, which contains patients registered with practices contributing data to the CPRD between 1998 and 2018 (N = 6,786,212 in 1998 to N = 9,594,598 in 2018). 65,665 patients had a diagnosis of autism recorded in 2018. Time trend of new (incident) cases of autism diagnosis was plotted for all, and stratified by gender, diagnostic subtypes, and developmental stage: infancy and preschool, 0-5 years old; childhood, 6-11 years old; adolescence, 12-19 years old; adults, over 19 years old. RESULTS: There was a 787%, exponential increase in recorded incidence of autism diagnoses between 1998 and 2018; R2 = 0.98, exponentiated coefficient = 1.07, 95% CI [1.06, 1.08], p < .001. The increase in diagnoses was greater for females than males (exponentiated interaction coefficient = 1.02, 95% CI [1.01, 1.03], p < .001) and moderated by age band, with the greatest rises in diagnostic incidence among adults (exponentiated interaction coefficient = 1.06, 95% CI [1.04, 1.07], p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Increases could be due to growth in prevalence or, more likely, increased reporting and application of diagnosis. Rising diagnosis among adults, females and higher functioning individuals suggest augmented recognition underpins these changes.

How does the increase in eating difficulties according to the Development and Well-Being Assessment screening items relate to the population prevalence of eating disorders? An analysis of the 2017 Mental Health in Children and Young People survey.

OBJECTIVE: We examine the test accuracy of the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) eating disorder screening items to explore whether the increased eating difficulties detected in the English National Mental Health of Children and Young People (MHCYP) Surveys 2021 reflect an increased population prevalence. METHODS: Study 1 calculated sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values from responses to the DAWBA screening items from 4057 11-19-year-olds and their parents, in the 2017 MHCYP survey. Study 2 applied the positive predictive value to data from 1844 11-19-year-olds responding to the 2021 follow-up to estimate the prevalence of eating disorders in England compared to 2017 prevalence. RESULTS: Parental report most accurately predicted an eating disorder (93.6%, 95% confidence interval: 92.7-94.5). Sensitivity increased when parent and child answers were combined, and with a higher threshold (of two) for children. The prevalence of eating disorders in 2021 was 1% in 17-19-year-olds, and .6% in 11-16-year-olds-similar to the prevalence reported in 2017 (.8% and .6%, respectively). However, estimates for boys (.2%-.4%) and young men (.0%-.4%) increased. DISCUSSION: We found tentative evidence of increased population prevalence of eating disorders, particularly among young men. Despite this, the DAWBA screening items are useful for ruling out eating disorders, particularly when parents or carers screen negative, but are relatively poor at predicting who will have a disorder. Data from both parents and children and applying a higher cut point improves accuracy but at the expense of more missed cases. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The prevalence of eating disorders did not markedly change from 2017 to 2021, but we found tentative evidence of an increase, particularly among young men. This is despite larger increases in problematic eating, which need further investigation. The DAWBA screen is best suited to ruling out eating disorders which limits its clinical applications as it would provide many false positives requiring further assessment.

In transition with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): children's services clinicians' perspectives on the role of information in healthcare transitions for young people with ADHD.

BACKGROUND: National clinical guidelines emphasise the need for good communication of information by clinicians to young people and their parent/carers about what to expect during transition into adult services. Recent research indicates that of young people in need of transition for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), only a minority experience continuity of care into adulthood, with additional concerns about quality of transition. This qualitative analysis explored the role that information plays in the transition from child to adult mental health services for young people with ADHD, from the perspectives of clinicians working in children's services. METHODS: Participants were recruited from National Health Service (NHS) Trusts located across the United Kingdom (UK), with varying service configurations. Twenty-two qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 paediatricians and seven psychiatrists working in child services and supporting young people with ADHD. The Framework Method was used to complete a thematic analysis of data related to the role of information in transitional care. RESULTS: Two themes were identified in relation to the role of information in supporting transition and promoting continuity of care. Information for clinicians; about adult mental health services, the young person and their ADHD, and exchanged between services. Sharing information with young people; about transition processes, self-management, to support service engagement, and tailored to be accessible to young people with ADHD. Clinicians in children's services reported variable access to information. Clear protocols and being able to communicate about ADHD as a long-term condition, were described as having a positive impact on the transition process. CONCLUSIONS: These findings illustrate that clear information on the transition process, and communication of evidence based and up-to-date information on ADHD as a long-term condition are essential components for clinicians supporting transition into adult services. Information exchange can be supported through transition discussions with young people, and joint meetings between services Discussions should be accompanied by accessible resources for young people and parents/carers such as leaflets and websites. Further efforts should be focussed on enabling clinicians to provide timely and appropriate information to young people with ADHD to support transition.

Mainstreaming adult ADHD into primary care in the UK: guidance, practice, and best practice recommendations.

BACKGROUND: ADHD in adults is a common and debilitating neurodevelopmental mental health condition. Yet, diagnosis, clinical management and monitoring are frequently constrained by scarce resources, low capacity in specialist services and limited awareness or training in both primary and secondary care. As a result, many people with ADHD experience serious barriers in accessing the care they need. METHODS: Professionals across primary, secondary, and tertiary care met to discuss adult ADHD clinical care in the United Kingdom. Discussions identified constraints in service provision, and service delivery models with potential to improve healthcare access and delivery. The group aimed to provide a roadmap for improving access to ADHD treatment, identifying avenues for improving provision under current constraints, and innovating provision in the longer-term. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines were used as a benchmark in discussions. RESULTS: The group identified three interrelated constraints. First, inconsistent interpretation of what constitutes a 'specialist' in the context of delivering ADHD care. Second, restriction of service delivery to limited capacity secondary or tertiary care services. Third, financial limitations or conflicts which reduce capacity and render transfer of care between healthcare sectors difficult. The group recommended the development of ADHD specialism within primary care, along with the transfer of routine and straightforward treatment monitoring to primary care services. Longer term, ADHD care pathways should be brought into line with those for other common mental health disorders, including treatment initiation by appropriately qualified clinicians in primary care, and referral to secondary mental health or tertiary services for more complex cases. Long-term plans in the NHS for more joined up and flexible provision, using a primary care network approach, could invest in developing shared ADHD specialist resources. CONCLUSIONS: The relegation of adult ADHD diagnosis, treatment and monitoring to specialist tertiary and secondary services is at odds with its high prevalence and chronic course. To enable the cost-effective and at-scale access to ADHD treatment that is needed, general adult mental health and primary care must be empowered to play a key role in the delivery of quality services for adults with ADHD.

Learning how relationships work: a thematic analysis of young people and relationship professionals' perspectives on relationships and relationship education.

BACKGROUND: Relationships in various forms are an important source of meaning in people's lives that can benefit their health, wellbeing and happiness. Relationship distress is associated with public health problems such as alcohol misuse, obesity, poor mental health, and child poverty, whilst safe, stable, and nurturing relationships are potential protective factors. Despite increased emphasis on Relationship Education in schools, little is known about the views of relationship professionals on relationship education specifically, and how this contrasts with the views of young people (YP). This Wellcome Centre for the Cultures and Environments of Health funded Beacon project seeks to fill this gap by exploring their perspectives and inform the future development of relationship education. METHODS: We conducted focus groups with YP (n = 4) and interviews with relationship professionals (n = 10). The data was then thematically analysed. RESULTS: Themes from YP focus groups included: 'Good and bad relationships'; 'Learning about relationships'; 'the role of schools' and 'Beyond Relationship Education'. Themes from interviews with relationship professionals included: 'essential qualities of healthy relationships'; 'how YP learn to relate' and 'the role of Relationship Education in schools'. CONCLUSIONS: YP and relationship professionals recognised the importance of building YP's relational capability in schools with a healthy relationship with oneself at its foundation. Relationship professionals emphasised the need for a developmental approach, stressing the need for flexibility, adaptability, commitment and resilience to maintain relationships over the life course. YP often presented dichotomous views, such as relationships being either good or bad relationships, and perceived a link between relationships and mental health. Although not the focus of current curriculum guidance, managing relationship breakdowns and relationship transitions through the life course were viewed as important with an emphasis on building relational skills. This research suggests that schools need improved Relationship Education support, including specialist expertise and resources, and guidance on signposting YP to external sources of help. There is also potential for positive relationship behaviours being modelled and integrated throughout curriculums and reflected in a school's ethos. Future research should explore co-development, evaluation and implementation of Relationship Education programmes with a range of stakeholders.

Trends in comorbid physical and mental health conditions in children from 1999 to 2017 in England.

INTRODUCTION: Children with long-term physical health conditions (pLTCs) are at increased risk of mental health conditions but less is known about time trends in the mental health of this group of children. METHODS: We used data from three comparable, population-based surveys of children conducted in 1999, 2004, and 2017. We examined whether the proportion of children aged 5-15 years old with comorbid mental health conditions (measured using the multi-informant Development and Well-being Assessment tool) and pLTCs (measured using parental report) in England increased from 1999 to 2017 using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Our analysis used data from 8662 (1999), 6401 (2004) and 6219 (2017) children, respectively. The proportion of children with comorbid pLTCs and psychiatric disorders was 0.050 (95% CI = 0.045, 0.055) in 1999, 0.054 (95% CI = 0.049, 0.060) in 2004, and 0.059 (95% CI = 0.053, 0.065) in 2017. The linear regression model revealed a non-significant effect of time on the proportion of children with comorbid pLTCs and psychiatric disorders from 1999 to 2017 (B = 0.0004785; SE = 0.0001256; p = 0.163). CONCLUSION: The estimated prevalence of school-aged children with comorbid pLTCs and mental health conditions in England remained stable since 1999, highlighting the need to prioritize mental health resources for children with physical health comorbidities.

Teachers' concerns about pupils' mental health in a cross-sectional survey of a population sample of British schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: Schools are becoming central to the identification and referral of children and young people with poor mental health. Understanding how well a teacher concern predicts mental disorder in a child or young person is important for mental health teams who need to respond to referrals. METHOD: This secondary analysis of the 2004 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey used the first item of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Impact subscale to indicate concern about a child or young person's mental health. Mental disorder according to DSM IVR criteria was assessed using the multi-informant Development and Well-Being Assessment. We compared the proportion with and without mental disorder according to the presence or absence of teacher concern. RESULTS: Teacher concern was moderately predictive (49% with teacher concern had a disorder) and sensitive (teacher concern present among 56% with disorder), while lack of teacher concern was highly predictive (only 5% had disorder) and specific (94% no disorder). Teacher concern was associated with significantly poorer mental health (mean teacher SDQ total difficulty score 19.6, SD 5.6 with disorder, mean 15.0; SD 5.1 if no disorder) compared to children without teacher concern (mean 9.6, SD 5.5 with disorder, and 4.9; SD 4.3 if no disorder; F (3, 5,931) = 1527.228, p = .001). If both teacher and parents were concerned, the child or young person was much more likely to have a disorder. CONCLUSION: A lack of teacher concern can reassure mental health practitioners in the vast majority of cases. While teacher concern does identify those with poorer mental health, it is only moderately predictive of a disorder. When concerned about a child or young person, discussions with parents or others who know them may help teachers identify those who most need support. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE: The emphasis on schools as a major setting to provide support and identify the need for referral to specialist mental health services means service commissioners, providers and practitioners could benefit from insight into how predictive a teacher's concern is of childhood mental health conditions and how this may vary with the type of disorder If teachers are not concerned about a child, practitioners can be reassured that there is unlikely to be a significant problem with their mental health, although this will be less certain in schools whose pupils are likely to have a higher than average levels of difficulty Teacher concerns do not necessarily differentiate between clinically impairing and mild/ moderate mental health difficulties, but do identify children in poorer mental health Asking for corroboration of concern from other sources increases the strength of the association to severe mental health disorders.

Transition between child and adult services for young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): findings from a British national surveillance study.

BACKGROUND: Optimal transition from child to adult services involves continuity, joint care, planning meetings and information transfer; commissioners and service providers therefore need data on how many people require that service. Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently persists into adulthood, evidence is limited on these transitions. AIMS: To estimate the national incidence of young people taking medication for ADHD that require and complete transition, and to describe the proportion that experienced optimal transition. METHOD: Surveillance over 12 months using the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System, including baseline notification and follow-up questionnaires. RESULTS: Questionnaire response was 79% at baseline and 82% at follow-up. For those aged 17-19, incident rate (range adjusted for non-response) of transition need was 202-511 per 100 000 people aged 17-19 per year, with successful transition of 38-96 per 100 000 people aged 17-19 per year. Eligible young people with ADHD were mostly male (77%) with a comorbid condition (62%). Half were referred to specialist adult ADHD and 25% to general adult mental health services; 64% had referral accepted but only 22% attended a first appointment. Only 6% met optimal transition criteria. CONCLUSIONS: As inclusion criteria required participants to be on medication, these estimates represent the lower limit of the transition need. Two critical points were apparent: referral acceptance and first appointment attendance. The low rate of successful transition and limited guideline adherence indicates significant need for commissioners and service providers to improve service transition experiences.

Clinician perspectives on the use of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines for the process of transition in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

BACKGROUND: The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines recommends the following steps in the transition from child to adult services for young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): reassessment before and after transition, transition planning, formal meeting between services, and involvement from young person and carer, completed by age 18. METHODS: A UK surveillance study asked clinicians to report young people on their caseloads with ADHD in need of transition to adult services in 2016 to support their continued access to medication need. Clinicians reported young people as they aged to within 6 months of the transition boundary, a prospective questionnaire prior to transition asked about intended transition and the use of local transition protocols. A retrospective questionnaire sent 9 months later established which steps recommended by NICE were followed during transition. Clinicians (38) working in child or adult services were interviewed about their experiences of transition and the use of NICE guidelines during transition and were analysed using a framework approach. RESULTS: Information was shared between services in 85% of the 315 identified transition cases. A joint meeting was planned in 16% of cases; joint working before transfer occurred in 10% of cases. Clinicians were aware of NICE guidelines; they had mixed views on whether (local) guidelines or protocols were helpful. The main reason for not following guidelines was workload and resources: "NICE recommends stuff that is miles above what we will ever be able to provide". CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians involved in the transition process of young people with ADHD judged NICE guidelines to be unrealistic given the current limited resources and service organization. More open dialogue is needed for recommendations on service models to bridge the gap between guideline recommendations and what is viewed as feasible and how implementation of guidance is funded, monitored, and prioritized. This may lead to valuable changes in the consultation process, for example, consideration of a layered (gold, standard, and minimal) system for some NICE guidelines.

In transition with ADHD: the role of information, in facilitating or impeding young people's transition into adult services.

BACKGROUND: Many national and regional clinical guidelines emphasise the need for good communication of information to young people and their parent/carers about what to expect during transition into adult services. Recent research indicates only a minority of young people in need of transition for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience continuity of care into adulthood, with additional concerns about quality of transition. This qualitative study explored the role that information plays in experiences of transition from the perspectives of parent/carers and young people. METHODS: Participants were recruited from 10 National Health Service Trusts, located across England, with varying service configurations. Ninety two qualitative interviews were conducted: 64 with young people with ADHD at different stages relative to transition, and 28 with parent/carers. Thematic analysis of data was completed using the Framework Method. RESULTS: Interviewees reported a range of experiences; however reliance on parent/carers to gather and translate key information, and negative experiences associated with poor communication of information, were universal. Three themes emerged: Navigating information with help from parents; Information on ADHD into adulthood; Information about the transition process. The first revealed the essential role of parent in the translation and application of information, the other two explored distinct types of information necessary for a smooth transition. Interviewees made recommendations for clinical practice similar to UK (United Kingdom) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, with an additional emphasis on providing nuanced information on ADHD as a potentially long term condition. It was important to interviewees that General Practitioners had a basic understanding of adult ADHD and also had access to information about service provision. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings illustrate that the availability and communication of information to young people and their parent/carers is an essential component of the transition process between child and adult ADHD services. How and when it is provided may support or impede transition. This study constitutes a substantial contribution to the evidence base, drawing on interviews from a range of participants across England and from Trusts offering different types of services.

Young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in transition from child to adult services: a qualitative study of the experiences of general practitioners in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Many young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have impairing symptoms that persist into adulthood, yet only a minority experience continuity of care into adult life. Despite growing emphasis on the primary care role in ADHD management in NICE ADHD and transition guidance, little is known about GPs' perspectives, which could hamper efforts to improve outcomes for young people leaving children's services. This study aimed to understand GPs' experiences of involvement with this group and explore their views on the roles and responsibilities of primary and secondary care in transition, to inform recommendations for policy and practice. METHOD: Qualitative interview study with GPs across the UK. Semi-structured telephone interviews were carried out with 14 GPs recruited through a linked mapping study, social media, and snowballing; data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: In the absence of a smooth transition from child to adult services, many GPs became involved 'by default'. GPs reacted by trying to identify suitable specialist services, and were faced with the decision of whether to continue ADHD prescribing. Such decisions were strongly influenced by perceptions that prescribing carried risks, and concerns over responsibility, particularly where specialist services were lacking. Participants described variation in service availability, and some highlighted tensions around how shared care works in practice. CONCLUSION: Implementation of NICE guidance is highly variable, with implications for GPs and patients. Risk and responsibility for primary care ADHD prescribing are central concerns that need to be addressed, as is the inclusion of GPs in a planned transition process.

Resumption of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medication in early adulthood: findings from a UK primary care prescribing study.

This study aimed to examine the resumption of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) prescriptions in early adulthood in young people whose ADHD prescriptions stopped in adolescence. Whilst prescribing studies indicate that the proportion of those with ADHD stopping treatment in late adolescence remains in excess of the proportion expected to be symptom free, very few studies have examined patterns of resumption amongst young adults previously prescribed medication. Primary care records from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink from 2008 to 2013 were used to examine the outcome of resumption of ADHD prescriptions from age 20 years in a sample of cases with ADHD whose prescriptions stopped aged 14-18 years. A Cox regression model was fitted to explore variables that could theoretically be associated with resumption of prescriptions. Of 1440 cases, 109 (7.6%) had their ADHD prescriptions resumed. Characteristics associated with an increased probability of resumption included female gender, learning disability, referral to adult mental health services, and prescription of antipsychotic medication. In this study, only a small proportion of adolescents who stopped ADHD medication subsequently resumed their prescriptions in primary care. Those that did resume were a more complex group. As many vulnerable individuals with ongoing ADHD symptoms may not have the resources required to surmount the barriers to re-enter services, the implication is that not all those who could benefit from resuming medication are able to do so. The findings raise questions around whether current care models are flexible enough and whether primary care services are adequately supported in managing this group.

Investigating the agreement between the clinician and research diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and how it changes over time; a clinical cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common reason for referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), but families experience long delays between first professional contact and diagnosis, which risks development of secondary impairments. This study explores the agreement between clinician and research diagnoses of ADHD among children attending CAMHS, and their access to interventions. From the limited literature, we anticipated fluctuation and delays, but no other study has focused prospectively on ADHD diagnoses. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a cohort of children attending two CAMHS between 2006 and 2009. The sample included 288 consecutive referrals of children aged between 5 and 11 years. Parents and teachers completed the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) when the child was recruited to the study, which provided the research diagnosis of ADHD from the baseline. Clinicians reported no, possible, or definite diagnosis of ADHD and interventions provided at 6-monthly intervals for up to 2 years while the child attended CAMHS. We assessed agreement between the diagnoses using Kendall's Tau-B. RESULTS: Of the 101 children with a research diagnosis of ADHD, 26 received a definite clinician diagnosis during 2-year follow-up, and 47 received a possible clinician diagnosis. The chance-corrected agreement was poor at all time points (Kendall's Tau-B 0.14-0.48). Clinician diagnoses were unstable, particularly if possible ADHD was recorded at the initial assessment. Of those with a research diagnosis, 15 were prescribed medication and 11 were offered parent training. CONCLUSIONS: The use of standardised diagnostic assessments could reduce diagnostic uncertainty and increase access to evidence-based interventions.

Recurrent Abdominal Pain in Children: Summary Evidence From 3 Systematic Reviews of Treatment Effectiveness.

OBJECTIVES: Between 4% and 25% of school-aged children complain of recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) severe enough to interfere with their daily activities. METHODS: We carried out a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in eleven databases and 2 trials registries from inception to June 2016. An update search was run in November 2017. All screening was performed by 2 independent reviewers. Included studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the evidence assessed using GRADE. We included any dietary, pharmacological or psychosocial intervention for RAP, defined by Apley or an abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorder, as defined by the Rome III criteria, in children and adolescents. RESULTS: We included 55 RCTs, involving 3572 children with RAP (21 dietary, 15 pharmacological, 19 psychosocial, and 1 multiarm). We found probiotic diets, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy were reported to reduce pain in the short-term and there is some evidence of medium term effectiveness. There was insufficient evidence of effectiveness for all other dietary interventions and psychosocial therapies. There was no robust evidence of effectiveness for pharmacological interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Overall the evidence base for treatment decisions is poor. These data suggest that probiotics, CBT, and hypnotherapy could be considered as part of holistic management of children with RAP. The evidence regarding relative effectiveness of different strains of probiotics is currently insufficient to guide clinical practice. The lack of evidence of effectiveness for any drug suggests that there is little justification for their use outside of well-conducted clinical trials. There is an urgent need for high-quality RCTs to provide evidence to guide management of this common condition.

Prescribing of medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among young people in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink 2005-2013: analysis of time to cessation.

The aim of this study was to examine the time to cessation of ADHD medication amongst young people with ADHD aged 16 in the period 2005-2013. Previous studies of prescribing in primary care reported high rates of medication cessation amongst 16 and 17 year olds with ADHD. The examination of trends since the introduction of new NICE guidance in 2008 will support service planning and improvement of outcomes over the vulnerable transition period from child to adult services. We used primary care records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and identified cases prescribed ADHD medication at the time of their 16th birthday during the study period. The outcome was time to medication cessation from the age of 16. Cessation of medication was defined as occurring at the beginning of a gap of over 6 months in prescriptions. 1620 cases were included. The median time to cessation was 1.51 years (95% CI 1.42-1.67).The estimated probability of remaining on medication was 0.63 (95% CI 0.61-0.65) at age 17 (i.e., at 1 year) and 0.41 (95% CI 0.39-0.43) at age 18. Young people with ADHD remain at high risk of cessation of medication during the transition from child to adult services. Despite the restriction that only primary care prescribing data were available, the results suggest continuing disparity between expected levels of symptom persistence and continuation of medication.