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

Eke, Helen; Ford, Tamsin; Newlove-Delgado, Tamsin; Price, Anna; Young, Susan; Ani, Cornelius; Sayal, Kapil; ... Janssens, Astrid; + view all (2020) Transition between child and adult services for young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): findings from a British national surveillance study. The British Journal of Psychiatry , 217 (5) pp. 616-622. 10.1192/bjp.2019.131. Green open access

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Abstract

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.

Type: Article
Title: Transition between child and adult services for young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): findings from a British national surveillance study
Location: England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2019.131
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2019.131
Language: English
Additional information: © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2019. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, surveillance British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU), Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System (CAPSS), incidence
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10177225
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