Treatment experiences of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Aim: To gain insight into the treatment experiences of children and adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Convenience sampling was used to recruit eligible parents and carers at paediatric clinics of the Children's, Youth and Women's Health Service to participate in an interview to discuss experiences, using a semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Thirty-five interviews were conducted. Twenty-five subjects had trialled an average of 1.5 interventions prior to receiving an ADHD diagnosis, namely, dietary modifications (46%), behavioural therapy (24%), learning assistance (8%) and natural remedies (8%). Following an ADHD diagnosis, 25 subjects tried an average of 2.8 interventions, most commonly behavioural therapies (48%), expressive therapies (48%) and fish oil (36%). All subjects started psychostimulant medication after receiving an ADHD diagnosis. Despite 52% of parents expressing initial reluctance towards psychostimulants, 97% reported positive experiences with use in terms of schooling, social interaction and family life. Of those being treated with psychostimulants, 22 (73%) were concurrently using other treatments at the time of interview. Conclusions: Few patients use psychostimulant medication in isolation, with the majority of parents using multiple approaches to manage their child's behaviour. Parents tried a variety of therapies before commencing psychostimulant medication, often because of fears regarding psychostimulant safety. Parents were generally happy with the results gained; however adolescents interviewed were less convinced of the benefits of psychostimulants.