A large proportion of resources going to ADHD investigations risks depleting specialized child and adolescent psychiatry and may reduce opportunities for others with psychiatric problems to receive help, notes the National Board of Health and Welfare.
The increase in the number of investigations can have several explanations, according to Mattias Fredricson, department head at the National Board of Health and Welfare.
It's about, among other things, that it can become easier to get adaptations and support in school with a diagnosis, but also that a diagnosis can be perceived as providing an explanation for a tough situation, he says.
Not equal
About 70 percent of all doctor's visits within child and adolescent psychiatry are today related to ADHD. In addition to the risk of displacement effects, the National Board of Health and Welfare notes that care is not equally distributed. Children in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas do not receive care to the same extent as in socioeconomically more affluent areas.
In many regions, it is necessary to purchase investigations to meet the increased demand. But when the agreements often only cover the investigation itself, it has led to an increased burden on child and adolescent psychiatry clinics. It is also difficult to get specialist doctors to work within child and adolescent psychiatry.
Many experienced doctors choose to leave child and adolescent psychiatry, which can affect continuity and quality, says Mattias Fredricson.
School is important
The National Board of Health and Welfare proposes various methods for educating, recruiting, and retaining personnel. They also propose measures such as information campaigns for parents and ways to streamline to free up resources.
According to Mattias Fredricson, there is nothing that indicates that the trend is about to turn. To meet the need, dialogue and cooperation between several actors in society are required, beyond healthcare.
We must start talking about how the need for care can change to achieve a better balance between needs and care capabilities. The school, for example, may need better conditions to handle children's different needs without requiring a diagnosis.
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and affects approximately five percent of the population.
ADHD is a disability that means having difficulty concentrating. It can also mean having difficulty sitting still and controlling impulses. The extent of the problems varies greatly between individuals with ADHD.
The most common form of ADHD is a combination of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
The form with inattention and few or no symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity is sometimes called ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), although this diagnosis is no longer formally recognized.
Most people retain their ADHD symptoms throughout their lives, but it can look very different for different people.
Source: 1177, Region Stockholm
