Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Services for young people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder transitioning from child to adult mental health services: a national survey of mental health trusts in England.

Hall, Charlotte L.; Newell, Karen; Taylor, John; Sayal, Kapil; Hollis, Chris

Services for young people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder transitioning from child to adult mental health services: a national survey of mental health trusts in England. Thumbnail


Authors

Karen Newell

John Taylor

KAPIL SAYAL kapil.sayal@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

CHRIS HOLLIS chris.hollis@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Digital Mental Health



Abstract

Transition from child to adult mental health services is considered to be a difficult process, particularly for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This article presents results from a national survey of 36 mental health National Health Service (NHS) trusts across England, the findings indicate a lack of accurate data on the number of young people with ADHD transitioning to, and being seen by, adult services. Less than half of the trusts had a specialist adult ADHD service and in only a third of the trusts were there specific commissioning arrangements for adult ADHD. Half of the trusts reported that young people with ADHD were prematurely discharged from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) because there were no suitable adult services. There was also a lack of written transition protocols, care pathways, commissioned services for adults with ADHD and inadequate information sharing between services. The findings advocate the need to provide a better transition service underpinned by clear, structured guidelines and protocols, routine data collection and information sharing across child and adult services. An increase in the commission of specialist adult ADHD clinics is needed to ensure individuals have access to appropriate support and care.

Citation

Hall, C. L., Newell, K., Taylor, J., Sayal, K., & Hollis, C. (2015). Services for young people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder transitioning from child to adult mental health services: a national survey of mental health trusts in England. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 29(1), https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881114550353

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Sep 18, 2014
Publication Date Jan 29, 2015
Deposit Date Feb 13, 2017
Publicly Available Date Feb 13, 2017
Journal Journal of Psychopharmacology
Print ISSN 0269-8811
Electronic ISSN 1461-7285
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 29
Issue 1
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881114550353
Keywords Survey, Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Transition, Adult services
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/742340
Publisher URL http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269881114550353
Additional Information Copyright © 2015 by British Association for Psychopharmacology
Contract Date Feb 13, 2017