Transition to Adult Mental Health Services for Young People With ADHD

Abstract

Managing the process of transition to adult services in mental health care remains a need to be prioritized and better defined for ADHD patients.

Comparison of Emotional Dysregulation Features in Cyclothymia and Adult ADHD

“…Differences in affective temperamental traits and negative emotionality could also be attributed to different triggers for referral to psychiatric services. In our context, approximately one-fifth of patients diagnosed with ADHD during childhood or adolescence continue to use mental health services in adulthood [ 60 ], a rate similar to that observed in the United Kingdom [ 61 ]. Most patients are referred to our service for ADHD assessment due to a long-standing pattern of impulsive behavior and drug abuse.…”

Mental disorders and transition to adult mental health services: A scoping review

“…An Italian study also showed low rates of transfer to adult services for young ADHD people. ADHD subjects with comorbidity and those treated with pharmacological therapy were more likely to require care continuity after the age of 18, but the majority remained with the ADHD pediatric service that was already providing them with care [91]. Similar rates have been shown by Taylor et al who found that 36% of young people with ADHD were likely to have ongoing symptoms and would require continuing support from adult services, while 50% had good symptom control and could be monitored by the general practitioner alone [106].…”

“…Survey questionnaire There is a gap in provision of services for young people with ADHD when they leave paediatric care, with many paediatricians struggling to find appropriate ongoing care Studies evaluating the accounts of transition [40] To investigate the transition process and current services for adults with ADHD in England Survey questionnaire There was a lack of accurate data on the number of young people with ADHD transitioning to, and being seen by, adult services. Young people with ADHD were prematurely discharged [91] To investigate the care continuity from child to adult mental services for young adults with ADHD Survey questionnaire 70% of patients who turned 18 were monitored by the general practitioner. One fifth of patients continued to use mental health services, the majority was still monitored by the RAPC [12] To compare youth with ASD who receive transition services to youth with other SHCN Case note review Whereas half of youth with other special health care needs received health care transition services, less than a quarter of youth with ASD did [71] To obtain information on annual transition numbers and existing transition policies…”

Care Transition from Child/Adolescents to Adult Services

“…Most studies focusing on transition outcomes have been retrospective case-note analyses by design and assessed service use or transition pathways after young people have reached the service transition boundary (e.g., Singh et al 2010b;Stagi et al 2015), some as part of service evaluation (Cappelli et al 2016). Many studies have focused on young people with neurodevelopmental disorders, which are in many countries the most frequent diagnostic group receiving treatment in CAMHS (Moosa and Sandhu 2015;Ogundele 2013;Reale et al 2014;Signorini et al 2017;Tatlow-Golden et al 2017). The incident rate of transition need for young people taking medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been calculated in the UK and Republic of Ireland to be 202-511 per 100, 000 people aged 17-19 per year, although only a fifth experience successful transition to adult services (Eke et al 2019).…”