Treatment options

Medication is the first-line treatment for adults and children with ADHD who have moderate or severe levels of impairment. This would be prescribed, monitored and controlled by the same Psychiatrist who completes the ADHD assessment.

For those with mild to moderate levels of impairment, psychosocial interventions have been shown to help manage symptoms of ADHD and improve everyday functioning. This kind of treatment is conducted by a Psychologist.

Medication

Adults

If you are diagnosed with ADHD, your psychiatrist may suggest medication to help with your symptoms.  This would be discussed with you in a follow up appointment and then monitored to ensure that the medication prescribed is a good match for you. Your psychiatrist will titrate the medication until you are on a stable dose for a minimum of three months.

Once the dosage is stable, we will write to your GP to agree shared care which means your GP will then take over the prescribing of your medication.  There are rare occasions where a GP will not agree to take over your prescriptions in which case your treatment will remain with your consultant psychiatrist. 

You will need to attend a yearly review with your consultant psychiatrist even though your GP is prescribing your medication.  Please make sure you factor this into your cost calculations.

Side note – There are several medications that help increase concentration and decrease hyperactivity and impulsivity in individuals with ADHD. While these medications are highly effective, not all individuals respond to them.

Children

If your child is diagnosed with ADHD, the psychiatrist may suggest medication to help with their symptoms.  The psychiatrist will titrate the dosage and monitor the medication until it is a stable dosage for your child.

Once the dosage is stable, we will write to your child’s GP to agree shared care which means the GP will then take over the prescribing the medication.  There are rare occasions where a GP will not agree to take over your prescriptions in which case treatment will remain with your child’s consultant psychiatrist. 

Your child will still need to attend reviews with their psychiatrist even though the GP is prescribing medication. For children under 10 these would be every 3 months and for children over 10, these would be every 6 months. Please make sure you factor this into your cost calculations.

Side note –There are several medications that help increase concentration and decrease hyperactivity and impulsivity in individuals with ADHD. While these medications are highly effective, not all individuals respond to them.

Shared care agreements

A Shared Care Agreement is an agreement between you, your GP, and your consultant. It enables the care and treatment you receive for a specific health condition to be shared between the consultant and your GP.

There may be some cases where a GP does not agree to take over prescribing your medication, in which case, your psychiatrist will continue to do so.

Psychosocial Interventions

Psychosocial Interventions can be useful either in addition to, or in place of medication.  For instance, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is used to train patients to self-regulate their behaviour, and control their hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

ADHD is often most detrimental when it disrupts daily life such as school or work, the ability to be organised, and social relationships.  Therapy involves various types of skills training that address these deficits.

For example, children and adults may be taught basic organisational skills that are tailored to those with ADHD, to help them effectively organize and complete their schoolwork, homework, or job-related work.

Social skills are used to help patients regulate their behaviour around peers and reduce behaviours that cause social problems.

Other basic skills such as focus enhancing and concentration skills, communication skills, and self-inhibition skills to regulate impulsive behaviour help individuals with ADHD function better in structured environments such as at school or work.

It is worth knowing that people with ADHD who are struggling at work or with studies can ask their workplace or educational establishment for reasonable adjustments.

Food diaries

Some people may notice a link between types of food and worsening of ADHD symptoms. If this is the case, keeping a food diary and a behaviour diary is helpful, and advice from a dietician can be sought. Some studies have suggested that taking supplements of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may be beneficial for people with ADHD, although the evidence supporting this is very limited.