A study of pathway of care in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

• Delay in seeking help by ADHD subjects is considerable despite severe symptoms.
• Undetected ADHD by other medical practitioners may lead to delay in seeking help.
• Identification by teachers and timely referral is imperative in care of ADHD.
• Cultural beliefs and unawareness about CAMHS for the ADHD often lead to delay.
• There is an explicit need for awareness about ADHD amongst various care providers.

ObjectiveAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with impairment in all aspects of the patient's life. Despite availability of effective treatments for ADHD, a majority of the patient lack access to or have a significant delay in seeking help. This study aimed to assess the pathway of care in ADHD among patients attending the outpatient psychiatric services of a tertiary care centre in India.Methods57 newly registered cases of the age group 6–16 years with the diagnosis of ADHD as per DSM-IV-TR criteria were included in the study. Pathway of care was assessed on the semi structured proforma.ResultsThe mean duration of delay in seeking help for ADHD symptoms was 3.96 Years (SD = 1.96). Only 50% of the subjects consulted psychiatrists as first contact. Majority of the patients (45.61%) were referred by school teachers. Major reason given by the family members was that the patient was naughty rather than having any disorder for not seeking treatment in (89.47%).ConclusionOur study showed that there was lack of recognition of ADHD at the level of other qualified practitioners and subsequent delay in referral to CAMHS. Sociocultural beliefs affected the help seeking by the parents.