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full screen ADHD investigations take up a large part of the doctor’s time at the country’s bup clinics. Archive image. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT
70 percent of doctor’s visits in child and youth psychiatry, bup, are used for the investigation and treatment of ADHD, according to a new report. This risks displacing other patients.
That such a large percentage of resources go to investigations of ADHD can mean reduced opportunities for others with psychiatric problems to get help. This is stated by the National Board of Health and Welfare in a new report.
“The demand for investigations and care for ADHD has increased so much and is so great that it risks impoverishing the specialized child and youth psychiatry,” says Mattias Fredricson, head of department at the National Board of Health and Welfare in a press release.
Around 70 percent of all doctor’s visits within bup today are related to adhd. In addition to displacement effects, the National Board of Health and Welfare states that care is not equally distributed. Children in socio-economically vulnerable areas do not receive care to the same extent as in socio-economically more affluent areas.
In many regions, for example, investigations need to be bought in to cope with the increased demand. It is also difficult to get specialist doctors to work in child and youth psychiatry, according to the report.
The National Board of Health and Welfare also proposes different methods for training, recruiting and retaining staff in child and youth psychiatry. They also propose measures such as information efforts for parents and streamlining the administration to free up more resources.