Predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of ADHD: longitudinal study

Barriers and Enablers of Service Access and Utilization for Children and Adolescents With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

To update a systematic review of the literature on the barriers and enablers of service access and utilization for children and adolescents with a diagnosis, or symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), from the perspective of caregivers, clinicians, and teachers.

METHODS

Five databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature published from May 2012 to March 2023. Two independent reviewers completed a two-stage screening process and quality assessment.

RESULTS

Of 4,523 search results, 30 studies were included. Five main themes were generated: 1) Awareness of ADHD, 2) Stigma, 3) Parental choice and partnerships, 4) Education services as an integral component, 5) Referrals, waiting times, and logistics. More than half of the studies reported poor acknowledgement, expertise of ADHD, and stigma.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight the need for ongoing ADHD education for all involved and policy changes to service delivery systems to increase the availability of health providers with specialist ADHD expertise.

Parent-carer experiences using a peer support network: a qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

Parent-carers of children and young people (CYP) with mental health problems are at greater risk of poor outcomes, such as poor physical and mental health. Peer interventions for parent-carers of CYP with disabilities may improve parent-carer outcomes. This qualitative study investigates parent-carer experiences of using Parental Minds (PM), a multi-component peer support service for parent-carers of CYP with disabilities.

METHODS

Twelve current service-users and four staff/volunteers at PM participated in one-to-one semi-structured interviews. All participants were white females, except for one service-user who was male. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of results was used to explore perceived benefits and disadvantages of PM and possible behaviour change mechanisms.

RESULTS

Three themes and eight subthemes were identified. Participants identified that internal and external factors influence their self-concept. The identification of themselves as a priority, and empowerment by reassurance and affirmation lead to improved parent-carer self-efficacy and agency to better care for their CYP. Participants described the difficulty of speaking honestly with friends and family about what they experience because it is perceived as different to what "normal" parents experience. From participant accounts, PM enables the construction of a support network and links external services to help manage family circumstances rather than offer curative treatment/intervention. Proactive and immediate advice which is constantly and consistently available was valued by participants. Participants expressed the need for a flexible range of service components which provide holistic support that encompasses both health and social care.

CONCLUSIONS

PM was perceived to be beneficial as a multi-component peer support service which increases parenting self-efficacy and empowerment, reduces isolation, improves access to services, and is tailored to individual needs. Parent-carers reported benefits in parenting and wellbeing practices. The development of a refined logic model will inform a future study of the effectiveness of PM on parent-carer outcomes.

Emotional problems in preschool and school-aged children with neurodevelopmental disorders in Spain: EPINED epidemiological project

BACKGROUND

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are often at risk of developing emotional problems.

AIMS AND METHODS

The co-occurrence of anxiety and depression with ASD and/or ADHD was determined by exploring the association with children's clinical and neuropsychological functioning and their parent's mental health. To this end, we assessed 295 preschoolers (PRE; 4-5 years old) and 486 school-aged children (SCH; 10-11 years old) in Tarragona, Spain. NDD diagnoses were based on DSM-5. Emotional problems were assessed using Achenbach's scales.

RESULTS

Emotional problems (PRE: 36%-78%; SCH: 32%-81%) were more common and more severe in participants with NDD than in controls and children in the ASD + ADHD school-aged group were the most affected. In ADHD, emotional problems were associated with more severe symptoms of attention deficit (PRE) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (SCH). In ASD + ADHD, emotional problems showed a trend of association with more severe ASD repetitive behaviours and impaired working memory, whereas in ASD were associated with greater overall ASD severity.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Children with NDD are vulnerable to emotional problems, which become more prevalent and interfering with age. Early detection and intervention aimed at tackling emotional problems can improve NDD prognosis.

Associated Factors of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis and Psychostimulant Use: A Nationwide Representative Study

BACKGROUND

Connections between epidemiological findings and children's and adolescents' mental health policies have not been properly made in Brazil, and such nationwide studies are scarce. This epidemiological study (1) estimated the prevalence and predictors of parent-reported attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (ADHD-report), (2) estimated the probable diagnosis and risk of ADHD based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, criteria (ADHD-probable), and (3) estimated current psychostimulant use (ADHD-pst) in a representative nationwide sample of Brazilian school-aged children and adolescents.

METHODS

Data were obtained from 7114 school-aged children (49.9% boys) from 87 cities in 18 Brazilian states. Parents and teachers were interviewed using psychometrically sound questionnaires. Data and codes are available.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ADHD-report, ADHD-probable, and ADHD-pst were 7.1%, 3.9%, and 1.9%, respectively. The agreement was low between ADHD-probable and ADHD-report (22.6%) and between ADHD-report and ADHD-pst (15.6%). Logistic regression revealed that predictors of all three categories were male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 1.71, 2.32, and 1.96, respectively), divorced parents (OR = 1.47, 1.65, and 1.68, respectively), and below-expectation school performance (OR = 3.1, 13.74, and 3.95, respectively). Socioeconomic status was a significant predictor of ADHD-report, and participants from lower classes were less frequently diagnosed with ADHD than their peers from upper classes (OR = 0.57, 95% confidence interval = 0.37-0.88, P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings provide an accurate description of ADHD in Brazil. We suggest disparities in agreement between report, risk, and psychostimulant use among children and adolescents and discrepancies between socioeconomic classes concerning the prevalence of an ADHD diagnosis.

Parental Barriers in Seeking Mental Health Services for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children: Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

Many children at risk for negative outcomes related to untreated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not receive necessary mental healthcare. Parents' mental health-seeking behavior is important in the early identification of ADHD and preventing comorbidities with ADHD. Parents may experience some barriers that may delay or stop parents from seeking mental healthcare for their children.

METHOD

This systematic review summarized existing evidence of parents' barriers to seeking mental healthcare for their children at risk of ADHD.

RESULTS

This review included 21 studies that address different parental barriers under the three levels of the social-ecological model, including individual, interpersonal, and community levels.

CONCLUSION

Raising parents' awareness of the process of seeking mental healthcare has the potential to help identify children at risk for ADHD earlier. Developing psychoeducational intervention that improves parents' seeking behavior and reduces barriers toward seeking mental healthcare is needed.

Review of barriers and interventions to promote treatment engagement for pediatric attention deficit hyperactivity disorder care

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common and impairing behavioral health disorder, impacting over 5% of children worldwide. There are multiple evidence-based pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for ADHD, and greater service utilization is associated with improved acute and long-term outcomes. However, long-term outcomes are suboptimal as multimodal treatments are often not accessed and most care ends prematurely. This narrative review discusses barriers to engagement for children and adolescents with ADHD and their families as well as interventions to overcome these barriers. Families face a variety of structural and attitudinal barriers, ranging from cost and access to stigma and low self-efficacy to successfully implement change. There are multiple interventions that may enhance engagement with ADHD care including psychoeducation, integration of behavioral services in general medical settings, telehealth as well as specific adaptations to existing ADHD treatments, such as the use of motivational interviewing or shared decision making. Integration of behavioral health into general medical settings and telehealth have been found in controlled studies to increase access by reducing both structural and attitudinal barriers. Adding motivational interviewing, shared decision making and other engagement interventions to evidence-based ADHD treatments has been found to reduce attitudinal barriers that translates into improved participation and satisfaction while enhancing outcomes. However, little is known about how to promote extended engagement with ADHD services even though a chronic care model for ADHD is recommended.

Inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and mathematics: Exploring gender differences in a nonclinical sample

In this study, we considered two subscales of attention problem (AP) behaviour, inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity, as latent traits, extreme values of which indicate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We examined gender differences in these traits in a community sample of Russian schoolchildren and estimated the extent to which the association of AP behaviour and math achievement varied for boys and girls. The data from a three-wave longitudinal study of math achievement of 958 children (49 % girls) were used, and growth in math achievement was estimated. The levels of inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity of each child were measured based on teachers' responses using the Behaviour Rating Scale (BRS). The results demonstrated that inattentiveness had a negative association with math achievement, while hyperactivity/impulsivity was positively associated with math achievement when inattentiveness was controlled for. Inattentiveness was negatively associated with math achievement in both boys and girls. However, the size of this association decreased over time for boys, so the gap between boys with high inattentiveness and low inattentiveness decreased from grade 1 to grade 2. Meanwhile, for girls, the association between inattentiveness and math remained stable, so the gap between girls with high inattentiveness and girls with low inattentiveness did not change.

Parent-perceived barriers to accessing services for their child's mental health problems

BACKGROUND

Many children and adolescents with impairing mental health disorders are not in contact with specialized child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). In order to close the service gap, it is important to increase our knowledge of barriers to access. The aim of this study was to investigate parent perceived barriers to accessing services for their child's mental health problems to identify potential areas for improvement of access to CAMHS.

METHOD

In this cross-sectional observational study 244 parents of children and adolescents referred to outpatient psychiatric assessment were interviewed using the Children's services interview regarding barriers to accessing child mental health services across healthcare, educational services and social services. Parent reported barriers were analyzed in relation to the child's age, referral reason, symptom duration and impairment of the child.

RESULTS

The most commonly reported barriers were lack of information about were to seek help (60.3%), the perception that professionals did not listen (59.8%) and professionals refusing to initiate interventions or provide referral to services (53.7%). Lack of knowledge, stigmatization and unavailability of services were common themes across barriers to help-seeking. Long symptom duration and parent rated impairment was associated with increased risk of reporting several barriers to help-seeking.

CONCLUSION

Parents seeking help for their child's mental health encounter numerous barriers that could explain part of the treatment gap and long duration of mental health problems in children prior to referral to CAMHS.

Awareness of ADHD in primary care: stakeholder perspectives

BACKGROUND

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is underdiagnosed in many European countries and the process of accessing care and diagnosis is complex and variable. In many countries, general practitioners (GPs) refer on to secondary care where individuals receive an assessment and, if appropriate, a diagnosis and access to care. It is therefore essential that GPs have a clear understanding of the disorder and its care pathways. While previous studies have highlighted potential barriers in GPs' ADHD awareness, this qualitative study aims to further explore individual stakeholders' experiences.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews explored the views of multiple stakeholders- GPs (n = 5), healthcare specialists (n = 5), patients (adults with ADHD n = 5) and parents (n = 5) with experience of the presentation and management of ADHD in primary care. These interviews were analysed using thematic analyses and following principles of grounded theory.

RESULTS

Stakeholders described ADHD assessment, diagnosis and treatment as an intricate process. Many factors affected this process such as complex pathways, lack of services, limited GP recognition and knowledge, and communicative difficulties between and within multiple stakeholders.

CONCLUSION

This analysis underlines the significant impact that receiving (or not) a diagnosis can have, and further explores muddled ADHD care pathways, highlighting key issues around GP identification and the shortage of adult services. Implications for practice and future research are discussed, suggesting a strong need for more commissioned pathways and GP specific educational programs.

Children With ADHD Symptoms: Who Can Do Without Specialized Mental Health Care?

Objective: A new Dutch Child and Youth Act should reduce specialized mental health care for children with symptoms of ADHD. Characteristics of children referred to a specialized ADHD clinic are explored to give direction to this intention. Method: Data of 261 children who underwent a multidisciplinary best practice evaluation (including rating scales, and demographic, psychological, and somatic findings) were analyzed. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to find predictive variables for the need of specialized mental health care. Results: Collected data were heterogeneous. (Sub)clinical total scores on the Teacher Report Form (TRF) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were predictive variables for specialized mental health care. Also children with divorced parents were more often referred to specialized care. Conclusion: (Sub)clinical scores on the CBCL and TRF increased the need for specialized care, but comprehensive assessment of every child with ADHD symptoms was necessary to differentiate between levels of care.

Academic Outcomes Following a School-Based RCT for ADHD: 6-Year Follow-Up

Objective: For children with high levels of ADHD symptoms, to investigate the impact of early school-based interventions on academic outcomes in mid-childhood. Method: A 6-year follow-up of 4- to 5-year-olds (N = 52,075) whose schools participated in a cluster randomized controlled trial for children at risk of ADHD. School-level interventions involved the provision of a booklet with evidence-based information (book) and/or feedback of names (identification) of children with high levels of ADHD symptoms. At ages 10 to 11 years, outcome measures were scores in English and mathematics tests. Results: For children with high levels of ADHD symptoms, the interventions had no impact on academic outcomes. When all children were analyzed, the book intervention had a positive impact on mathematics. Baseline inattention was associated with poorer academic outcomes, whereas impulsiveness was associated with better academic outcomes. Conclusion: The provision of evidence-based information about helping children with ADHD at school may have wider academic benefits.

Barriers and predictors of medication use for childhood ADHD: findings from a UK population-representative cohort

PURPOSE

Little is known about sociodemographic and clinical factors that predict and act as barriers to ADHD medication independently of symptom severity. We examined the proportion of children using medication for ADHD, age of initiation of medication, and predictors of medication use in a population-representative cohort.

METHODS

Data from the Millennium Cohort Study on child ADHD, medication use for ADHD at age 14 (in 2014-2015) and child, parent and sociodemographic variables were collated. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors that predict medication use for ADHD (the main outcome measure), adjusting for symptom severity at age seven.

RESULTS

The weighted prevalence of ADHD was 3.97% (N = 11,708). 45.57% of children with ADHD (N = 305) were taking medication. The median age at initiation was 9 years (range 3-14). Male gender (AOR 3.66, 95% CI 1.75, 7.66) and conduct problems at age seven (AOR 1.24 95% CI 1.04, 1.47) and 14 predicted medication use at age 14 after adjusting for symptom severity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study is the first to assess predictors of medication whist adjusting for ADHD symptom severity. Girls with ADHD were less likely to be prescribed medication, even when they displayed similar ADHD symptom levels to boys. Conduct problems also predicted medication independently of ADHD symptoms. ADHD may be more often medicated in boys because clinicians may think a prototypical ADHD child is male, and perhaps conduct problems make boys more disruptive in the classroom, leading to boys being more often treated.

Barriers and facilitators to understanding of ADHD in primary care: a mixed-method systematic review

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder affecting up to 5% of children and adults and is underdiagnosed in many European countries. The process of access to care for this disorder is complex and variable across countries. In general, those affected, or their caregiver, will seek help through their primary care practitioners who are then often responsible for referral to other professionals for diagnosis and provision of treatment. Previous studies have highlighted that many barriers to recognition exist in primary care settings (such as misconceptions, lack of education or lack of resources), preventing access to care for this population and potentially affecting diagnosis rate. This systematic review aims to establish the barriers and facilitators with regard to attitudes, beliefs and experiences of ADHD within primary care. Electronic searches of multiple databases identified 3898 articles of which 48 met our inclusion criteria-primary care professionals from any country, understanding, knowledge, awareness, attitude and recognition of ADHD. Four main themes were identified: (1) need for education, (2) misconceptions and stigma, (3) constraints with recognition, management and treatment, and (4) multidisciplinary approach. The findings suggest many interacting factors are at play in the recognition of ADHD by primary care practitioners with a strong recurring theme of a significant need for better education on ADHD. Implications for research and practice are discussed, suggesting that educational interventions for primary care practitioners could improve the recognition of ADHD in this setting.

The Impact of Adult ADHD in the Quality of Life Profile

OBJECTIVE

In this multicenter, cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the quality of life (QoL) and the neuropsychological and clinical characteristics of adults with ADHD with different developmental pathways.

METHOD

Our study sample included 25 control (healthy) participants, 31 patients with newly diagnosed ADHD without comorbidities (ADHD-C-D), 31 with newly diagnosed ADHD with comorbidities (ADHD+C-D), and 29 with previously diagnosed ADHD with comorbidities (ADHD+C+D).

RESULTS

Compared with controls, ADHDs had little differences in the attentional performance but showed higher impulsivity, more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety, and lower QoL. The ADHD+C-D group showed more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety than the ADHD+C+D group ( p = .037 and p = .008, respectively), and poorer QoL in the psychological health sphere ( p = .003).

CONCLUSION

Differences between ADHD and control subjects were particularly remarkable in mood symptoms and QoL. Previous diagnosis might have a positive impact on mood symptoms and QoL in ADHD adults.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Childhood: Healthcare Use in a Danish Birth Cohort during the First 12 Years of Life

OBJECTIVES

To compare the mean number of medical and psychiatric hospital-based services in children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to assess the effect of ADHD on hospital-based service use, including child-, parental-, and socioeconomic-related risk factors.

STUDY DESIGN

A Danish birth cohort was followed through 12 years, and children with ADHD were identified using Danish nationwide registries. Poisson regression analyses were used to assess the association of ADHD with service use and to adjust for a comprehensive set of explanatory variables.

RESULTS

Children diagnosed with ADHD used more medical and psychiatric hospital-based healthcare than those without ADHD. In children with ADHD, intellectual disability and parental psychiatric disorder were associated with increased medical and psychiatric service use. Low birth weight and low gestational age were associated with increased medical service use. Psychiatric comorbidity and having a divorced or single parent were associated with increased psychiatric service use.

CONCLUSIONS

ADHD independently affected medical and psychiatric hospital-based service use even when adjusting for a comprehensive set of explanatory variables. However, the pattern of medical and psychiatric hospital-based service use is complex and cannot exclusively be explained by the child-, parental-, and socioeconomic-related variables examined in this study.

What do parents perceive are the barriers and facilitators to accessing psychological treatment for mental health problems in children and adolescents? A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies

A minority of children and adolescents with mental health problems access treatment. The reasons for poor rates of treatment access are not well understood. As parents are a key gatekeeper to treatment access, it is important to establish parents' views of barriers/facilitators to accessing treatment. The aims of this study are to synthesise findings from qualitative and quantitative studies that report parents' perceptions of barriers/facilitators to accessing treatment for mental health problems in children/adolescents. A systematic review and narrative synthesis were conducted. Forty-four studies were included in the review and were assessed in detail. Parental perceived barriers/facilitators relating to (1) systemic/structural issues; (2) views and attitudes towards services and treatment; (3) knowledge and understanding of mental health problems and the help-seeking process; and (4) family circumstances were identified. Findings highlight avenues for improving access to child mental health services, including increased provision that is free to service users and flexible to their needs, with opportunities to develop trusting, supportive relationships with professionals. Furthermore, interventions are required to improve parents' identification of mental health problems, reduce stigma for parents, and increase awareness of how to access services.

Access to diagnosis, treatment, and supportive services among pharmacotherapy-treated children/adolescents with ADHD in Europe: data from the Caregiver Perspective on Pediatric ADHD survey

BACKGROUND

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood psychiatric disorders and negatively impacts caregivers' lives. Factors including barriers to accessing care, dissatisfaction with support services, and lack of caregiver resources may contribute to this.

OBJECTIVES

To report caregivers' experiences of ADHD diagnosis, behavioral therapy (BT), and supportive care for children/adolescents with ADHD.

METHODS

The Caregiver Perspective on Pediatric ADHD (CAPPA) survey included caregivers of children/adolescents (6-17 years) from ten European countries who were currently receiving/had received ADHD pharmacotherapy in the previous 6 months. Caregivers reported experiences of obtaining an ADHD diagnosis, access to BT, availability of caregiver resources, and level of health care/school support. Pan-EU and country-specific descriptive statistics are reported; responses were compared across countries.

RESULTS

Of 3,616 caregivers, 66% were female. Mean age of children/adolescents was 11.5 years; 80% were male. Mean time from the first doctor visit to diagnosis was 10.8 (95% confidence interval 10.2, 11.3) months; 31% of caregivers reported the greatest degrees of difficulty in obtaining an ADHD diagnosis; 44% of children/adolescents did not receive BT. Forty-seven percent of caregivers reported that sufficient resources were available, 44% were "very satisfied"/"satisfied" with medical care, and 50% found health care providers "very supportive"/"somewhat supportive". Mainstream schools were attended by 82% of children/adolescents. Of those, 67% of caregivers thought schools could help more with the child/adolescent's ADHD and 48% received extra help/special arrangement. Results varied significantly between countries (P<0.001, all parameters).

CONCLUSION

Almost a third of caregivers reported a high degree of difficulty in obtaining an ADHD diagnosis for their child/adolescent, less than half felt that sufficient resources were available, and gaps in support from health care providers/schools were identified. Findings underscore the need to improve access to diagnosis and provision of supportive services to enable better standards of care, and potentially reduce the impact of child/adolescent ADHD on caregivers' lives.

Clinical service use as people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder transition into adolescence and adulthood: a prospective longitudinal study

Background

While Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often persists into adulthood, little is known about the needs and service use among adolescents and young adults with ADHD. The present study followed-up a cohort diagnosed with ADHD as children and assessed their: 1) needs, 2) correlates of contact with clinical services, and 3) experiences of transition from child to adult health services.

Methods

Ninety one young people aged 14–24 were recruited from the UK subset of the International Multi-Centre ADHD Genetics (IMAGE) Project. Affected young people and parents conducted face-to-face interviews and self-completion questionnaires including a modified version of the Client Services Receipt Inventory, The Barkley’s ADHD rating scale, The Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised, and the Zarit Burden Interview. Changes in key need characteristics (e.g. ADHD symptoms and impairments) over a 3-year period were examined using fixed effect models. Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE) were used to explore how key characteristics (such as ADHD symptoms) were associated with contact with clinical services across the three years.

Results

At baseline 62 % met diagnostic criteria for ADHD and presented with a range of ADHD related impairments, psychiatric comorbidities, and significant caregiver burden. While ADHD symptoms and related impairments lessened significantly over the three years, psychiatric comorbidities and caregiver burden remained stable. The strongest correlate of contact with clinical services was age (OR 0.65 95 % CI 0.49–0.84) with the odds of reported contact with clinical services decreasing by 35 % for each year increase in age at baseline and by 25 % for each year increase in age over time. Only 9 % of the sample had experienced a transfer to adult services, with the majority reporting unmet needs in healthcare transition.

Conclusions

Despite continuing needs, few were in contact with adult health services or had received sufficient help with transition between child and adult health services. The main determinant of health service use for adolescents and young adults with ADHD is age – not needs. Service models should address the needs of ADHD individuals who are no longer children.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1509-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Preschool hyperactivity is associated with long-term economic burden: evidence from a longitudinal health economic analysis of costs incurred across childhood, adolescence and young adulthood

BACKGROUND

Preschool hyperactivity is an early risk factor for adult mental health problems and criminality. Little is known about; (a) the patterns of long-term service costs associated with this behavioural marker in the general population and (b) the specific factors predicting hyperactivity-related costs. We undertook a prospective study investigating associations between preschool hyperactivity and average individual annual service costs up to late adolescent and young adulthood.

METHODS

One-hundred and seventy individuals rated as hyperactive by their parents and 88 nonhyperactive controls were identified from a community sample of 4,215 three years olds. Baseline information about behaviour/emotional problems and background characteristics were collected. At follow-up (when individuals were aged between 14 and 25 years) information was obtained on service use, and associated costs since the age of three. Based on this information we calculated the average cost per annum incurred by each individual.

RESULTS

Compared to controls, preschoolers with hyperactivity had 17.6 times higher average costs per annum across domains (apart from nonmental health costs). These were £562 for each hyperactive individual compared with £30 for controls. Average annual costs decreased as a function of age, with higher costs incurred at younger ages. The effects of hyperactivity remained significant when other baseline factors were added to the model. Effects were fully mediated by later psychiatric morbidity. When the hyperactive group were examined separately, costs were consistently predicted by male gender and, for some cost codes, by conduct problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Preventative approaches targeting early hyperactivity may be of value. Services should be targeted towards high-risk individuals with careful consideration given to the cost-to-benefit trade-off of early intervention strategies.