Difficulty many drug treatment service users face in accessing mental healthcare described as ‘torture by bureaucracy’ as advocates call for whole-of-government approach to address unmet needs
Just over half of adults in drug treatment services were found to have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a survey has found.
The research, presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Drugs Use yesterday, found that, among 288 drug users who took part in the study, prevalence of ADHD was 51 per cent. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among the survey participants was 37 per cent.
The overall estimate of the prevalence of ADHD was 21 per cent. Among women using benzodiazepines, the ADHD rate rose to 40 per cent.
Among people who use alcohol, cocaine or cannabis, rates of ADHD were significantly higher among men than women. However, among opiate users, women had a higher rate of the disorder.
The study was carried out by Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and drugs crisis campaign group Citywide, and led by Prof Catherine Comiskey, TCD Chair in Healthcare Modelling, Global Addiction and Transformation.
Outlining her research findings to the committee, Prof Comiskey said that interviews with drug treatment service providers revealed that most did not have any formal training in neurodiversity.
“Communicating with and managing people with neurodiverse conditions provided a major challenge for service provider staff, particularly when providing services for people with ASD,” she said.
“For some service users it can take years to find an effective treatment programme based on their individual needs.”
TCD Assistant Professor of Mental Health Nursing Philip James described the difficulty many drug treatment service users face in accessing mental healthcare as ‘torture by bureaucracy’.
“People with a substance use disorder often struggle to access mental health services,” he told the committee.
“So much so in fact that the latest mental health strategy, ‘Sharing the Vision’, had to reverse recommendations made in the previous policy, ‘Vision for Change’, as they were leading to the exclusion of those with a substance use disorder from mental health services.”
ADHD Ireland CEO Ken Kilbride called for urgent improvements in services for those with the disorder. The organisation said that undiagnosed ADHD among people with substance abuse disorder in Ireland was linked to an estimated €2 billion in annual socio-economic costs.
“ADHD is a neurodivergence; it doesn’t disappear on your 18th birthday,” he said.
“With an estimated 160,000 to 170,000 adults with ADHD in Ireland (the vast majority undiagnosed) and 50 per cent of all new referrals to HSE mental health services now for ADHD, our public services are completely overwhelmed. This can lead to critical human and financial consequences.”
A a recent CSO Healthy Ireland survey found that nine per cent of Irish adults believe they have ADHD. However, health services have been unable to keep up with the growing demand for care in this area. HSE figures published last month showed that there were 1,646 people waiting for ADHD assessments, with delays of up to two-and-a-half years in some areas.
Dr Sonia Morris, Board Director of ADHD Ireland, said: “Without knowledge or support, people often self-medicate, predominantly with alcohol and cannabis. But it doesn’t need to be like this.
“We need a ‘neuroaffirmative’ approach across all of society, in schools, workplaces, healthcare, and communities in order to reduce stigma and provide the right accommodations.
“We urgently need a whole of government strategy, starting with properly funding and staffing the HSE and CAMHS services to focus on ADHD care.”
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