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

Objective Many children with, or at risk of, ADHD do not receive healthcare services for their difficulties. This longitudinal study investigates barriers to and predictors of specialist health service use. Methods This is a five year follow-up study of children who participated in a cluster ra...

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Main Authors: Sayal, Kapil, Mills, Jonathan, White, Kate, Merrell, Christine, Tymms, Peter
Format: Article
Published: Springer 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29641/
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author Sayal, Kapil
Mills, Jonathan
White, Kate
Merrell, Christine
Tymms, Peter
author_facet Sayal, Kapil
Mills, Jonathan
White, Kate
Merrell, Christine
Tymms, Peter
author_sort Sayal, Kapil
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Objective Many children with, or at risk of, ADHD do not receive healthcare services for their difficulties. This longitudinal study investigates barriers to and predictors of specialist health service use. Methods This is a five year follow-up study of children who participated in a cluster randomised controlled trial, which investigated school-level interventions (provision of books with evidence-based information and/or feedback of names of children) for children at risk of ADHD. 162 children who had high levels of ADHD symptoms at age 5 (baseline) were followed up at age 10 years. Using baseline data and follow-up information collected from parents and teachers, children who had and had not used specialist health services over the follow-up period were compared and predictors (symptom severity, comorbid problems, parental perception of burden, parental mental health, and socio-demographic factors) of specialist service use investigated. Results The most common parent-reported barrier reflected lack of information about who could help. Amongst children using specialist health services who met criteria for ADHD at follow-up, 36% had been prescribed stimulant medication. Specialist health service use was associated with each one-point increase in teacher-rated symptoms at baseline (inattention symptoms (adjusted OR = 1.40; 95% CI 1.12-1.76) and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms (adjusted OR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.05-1.44)). Parental mental health problems were also independently associated with service use (for each one-point increase in symptoms, adjusted OR = 1.41; 95% CI 1.04-1.91). Conclusions Severity of teacher-rated ADHD symptoms in early school years is a determinant of subsequent service use. Clinicians and teachers should be aware that parental mental health problems are independently associated with service use for children at risk of ADHD.
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spelling nottingham-296412020-05-04T20:08:57Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29641/ Predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of ADHD: longitudinal study Sayal, Kapil Mills, Jonathan White, Kate Merrell, Christine Tymms, Peter Objective Many children with, or at risk of, ADHD do not receive healthcare services for their difficulties. This longitudinal study investigates barriers to and predictors of specialist health service use. Methods This is a five year follow-up study of children who participated in a cluster randomised controlled trial, which investigated school-level interventions (provision of books with evidence-based information and/or feedback of names of children) for children at risk of ADHD. 162 children who had high levels of ADHD symptoms at age 5 (baseline) were followed up at age 10 years. Using baseline data and follow-up information collected from parents and teachers, children who had and had not used specialist health services over the follow-up period were compared and predictors (symptom severity, comorbid problems, parental perception of burden, parental mental health, and socio-demographic factors) of specialist service use investigated. Results The most common parent-reported barrier reflected lack of information about who could help. Amongst children using specialist health services who met criteria for ADHD at follow-up, 36% had been prescribed stimulant medication. Specialist health service use was associated with each one-point increase in teacher-rated symptoms at baseline (inattention symptoms (adjusted OR = 1.40; 95% CI 1.12-1.76) and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms (adjusted OR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.05-1.44)). Parental mental health problems were also independently associated with service use (for each one-point increase in symptoms, adjusted OR = 1.41; 95% CI 1.04-1.91). Conclusions Severity of teacher-rated ADHD symptoms in early school years is a determinant of subsequent service use. Clinicians and teachers should be aware that parental mental health problems are independently associated with service use for children at risk of ADHD. Springer 2015-05 Article PeerReviewed Sayal, Kapil, Mills, Jonathan, White, Kate, Merrell, Christine and Tymms, Peter (2015) Predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of ADHD: longitudinal study. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 24 (5). pp. 545-552. ISSN 1018-8827 ADHD hyperactivity/inattention school-based intervention longitudinal barriers service use http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00787-014-0606-z doi:10.1007/s00787-014-0606-z doi:10.1007/s00787-014-0606-z
spellingShingle ADHD
hyperactivity/inattention
school-based intervention
longitudinal
barriers
service use
Sayal, Kapil
Mills, Jonathan
White, Kate
Merrell, Christine
Tymms, Peter
Predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of ADHD: longitudinal study
title Predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of ADHD: longitudinal study
title_full Predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of ADHD: longitudinal study
title_fullStr Predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of ADHD: longitudinal study
title_full_unstemmed Predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of ADHD: longitudinal study
title_short Predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of ADHD: longitudinal study
title_sort predictors of and barriers to service use for children at risk of adhd: longitudinal study
topic ADHD
hyperactivity/inattention
school-based intervention
longitudinal
barriers
service use
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29641/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29641/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29641/