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ADHD and Covid-19: Current roadblocks and future opportunities.
Ir J Psychol Med. 2020 May 21;:1-22
Authors: McGrath J
Abstract
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the commonest disorder presenting to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Ireland. ADMiRE is a specialist ADHD service in South Dublin that provides assessment and intervention for >200 children and adolescents with ADHD.The first section of this article considers the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the provision of mental health services for young people with ADHD with specific reference to the difficulties that have been experienced in ADMiRE since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland. In ADMiRE, there has been a significant reduction of face to face consultations, postponement of new assessments, difficulties with physical monitoring, delays in medication initiation, suspension of medication titration, lack of group interventions and problems with access to controlled drug prescriptions. Current guidelines and alternative ways of ensuring adequate service provision are discussed.Restrictions to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 are likely to continue for many months, and child and adolescent mental health services need to find new ways to provide a sustainable service to young people in Ireland. There is a growing evidence base for telepsychiatry, the use of technology such as video conferencing to deliver mental health care remotely, and this approach may be particularly useful in assessment and management of ADHD. The second section of this article discusses the evidence base for telepsychiatry in ADHD, and outlines factors that should be considered when developing a telepsychiatry service for children and adolescents with ADHD.
PMID: 32434606 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32434606?dopt=Abstract